Ballymoney parking plan would bring one-hour limits to parts of High Street and Main Street
DfI is proposing one-hour daytime parking with a one-hour no-return rule on key Ballymoney streets, alongside new no-waiting restrictions.
Drivers in Ballymoney could face new one-hour parking limits on parts of High Street and Main Street under a Department for Infrastructure proposal currently open for consultation.
The draft Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Ballymoney) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026 would create designated parking places on lengths of High Street and Main Street and limit stays between 8.30am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday.
During those hours, parking would be limited to one hour, with drivers prohibited from returning to the parking place until a further hour had passed.
Is the one-hour rule active yet?
No. This is the most important point for motorists reading about the scheme. DfI is consulting on the order and the consultation is scheduled to close at 5pm on 1 October 2026.
A consultation does not create a new parking restriction by itself. The Department would have to complete the statutory process and make the order before the new controls became legally operative. Until then, drivers should follow the signs and markings that are currently in place.
Which streets would be affected?
The proposal covers specified lengths of High Street and Main Street for the new one-hour parking places.
It would also prohibit waiting at any time on lengths of High Street and Townhead Street. DfI states that loading and unloading would still be permitted on those no-waiting lengths.
The exact sections matter. A statutory order applying to a length of a named street does not necessarily place the same restriction along the entire road. Drivers should therefore avoid assuming that every bay on High Street or Main Street would have an identical limit.
How would the no-return rule work?
If the order is made as drafted, a motorist using one of the designated spaces during controlled hours could park for up to one hour. After leaving, the vehicle could not return to the parking place until one hour had expired.
No-return rules are designed to stop a driver simply moving out of a space and immediately coming back to restart the parking period. They are commonly used where authorities want a turnover of town-centre parking spaces for shoppers and short visits.
Why Ballymoney drivers should care
For someone making a quick visit to shops or services, one hour may be sufficient. For staff, longer appointments or extended shopping trips, the restriction could change which parking location is practical.
Businesses can also be affected because short-stay controls may improve turnover while reducing the ability of employees or customers to occupy the same space for longer periods. That is one reason DfI uses a consultation process before finalising this type of order.
What happens after 1 October?
Once the consultation closes, DfI can consider objections and representations before deciding whether to proceed, amend the proposal or take no further action. There is not yet a confirmed commencement date in the consultation material.
PureCar would therefore not describe these restrictions as live until a made order or formal commencement notice is published.
What should motorists do now?
For the moment, use the existing parking signs and road markings in Ballymoney. If you regularly park on High Street, Main Street or Townhead Street, keep an eye on DfI notices after the consultation closes because any made order should set out when the new controls begin.
It is also worth reading signs at the actual bay rather than relying on a memory of the old rules. Parking controls can differ from one section of a street to another, particularly where loading, disabled parking or other exemptions are involved.
Source
Department for Infrastructure consultation: The Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Ballymoney) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026.
