By Bláthnaid McQuaide

Concerns about parking continue to rise in Derry as one local business owner says the shortage of car parking spaces in the city centre is disrupting trade.

Shane Skelly, manager of The Coffee Tree café, said the pressure to find a car parking space near the café is deterring customers.

“There’s literally nowhere around here where you can park that makes easy access for people.

“Any of the parking that is in the street is limited to the hour so it nearly rushes people.

“We’re quite busy at lunchtime and people don’t have that luxury to wait around and maybe sit down and enjoy their food.

“So, they bypass us for somewhere else,” he said.

The Coffee Tree café is situated on the Strand Road, a main road with no on-street parking. The area also has limited free parking options. Clarendon Street and Queen Street close to the café offer free one-hour parking but it is difficult to get parked in this busy area.

Staff at the café also face parking issues with a shortage of spaces they are forced to pay to use public spaces.

Mr Skelly says unless staff are looking for parking at seven in the morning they are unable to secure a parking space in theonly street without a one hour parking limit.

The shortage of on-street parking is also affecting deliveries to the business.

Due to a lack of suitable delivery space, drivers are being forced to make drop-offs on the main road.

But Mr Skelly says this is causing problems with local parking attendants.

“Delivery drivers are having to pull in on a footpath and actually block the road but there’s nowhere else for them.

“They’re pulling in and trying to deliver to maybe three businesses in this road and they’re being asked to move on

“They have to deliver in the front of our building; we don’t have a back area so it creates an issue for them.

“They’re literally being rushed”, he said.

Sinn Fein councillor, Sandra Duffy said city-centre parking continued to be an issue for commuters. But she added that accessible car parking was important to Derry City and Strabane District Council.

“Finding free car parking within the city centre can be difficult, particularly during office hours when workers are often found circling The Diamond in the hope of a space.

“However, the council does provide well maintained reasonably priced car parks that offer safe and secure spaces,” she said.

However, Ms Duffy suggested using public transport to commute instead of “praying to the parking angels”.

“I, however, have embraced public transport and use the reliable and frequent Translink bus services and can recommend this as an alternative to praying to the parking angels,” she said.

Mr Skelly hopes the council will make some changes about car parking in the city centre to benefit the local business community.

He hopes there will be “somewhere for the delivery drivers to deliver to places like this which are directly on the road with no parking right beside it, without them having to block the main road.”