New £1 parking machines to cost £250k

The new pay and display machines that accept the new £1 coins will be installed over the coming weeks across the county’s 55 car parks at a cost of £250,000.

The new machines will replace the current ones, which are in poor condition and also do not take the new £1 coin, causing considerable problems for visitors and, in particular, foreign tourists. The old £1 coins go out of circulation in October.

Cllr Liam Fitzpatrick, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “The new machines will accept the old £1 coin until they lose their legal tender status in October. Our parking officers will be able to update the new machines from October 15 so they don’t accept the old £1 coin.

“I’d like to remind those who use our pay and display car parks to buy the right ticket for the time they are parked there.”