Lagan Valley MLA calls on people to make use of additional hour of parking in Lisburn city centre
Lagan Valley MLA David Honeyford is encouraging local people to make use of the additional hour of car parking in Lisburn city centre after it was revealed only 274 people had made use of the facility over the course of six months.
The one-hour grace period was initially introduced as a pilot in late 2025 to provide greater flexibility for people visiting local shops, cafés and other city centre businesses.
However in June 2026 Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins announced that the one-hour grace period for people parking in on-street spaces within the Controlled Parking Zones in Lisburn will be made permanent.
Despite residents, businesses, and visitors to the city repeatedly calling for action over parking in the city centre, Mr Honeyford has said fewer than 300 people made use of the one-hour grace period over six months.
Mr Honeyford, who has been lobbying for measures to support Lisburn city centre, said the low uptake showed that many people were simply unaware the extra hour was available.
“This is a really positive initiative that gives people more time to shop, grab a coffee or support local businesses in Lisburn,” he said.
"There is no clear signage on the streets or parking machines, and the app doesn’t clearly show people their return time.
“Good ideas only work if people know about them. I’ve written to the Minister asking for better signage and improvements to the app so people can actually benefit from this change.
“We need to move beyond making announcements and make sure policies are properly implemented so they make a real difference for people and for our local businesses.”