Peeblesshire News | News | Pay and dismay

Friday, 5th December, 2008

Published: Friday, 11th January, 2008 10:30

Pay and dismay

By David Knox

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Some of the locals who attended the packed meeting in the Burgh Hall

RAGING road users are hoping to put the brakes on controversial parking proposals for Peebles.

A heated meeting this week saw more than 100 locals demand the council reverses plans to bring meters to the town centre.

And the debate has fuelled fresh calls for better enforcement of current regulations.

Scottish Borders Council, with the backing of the six local members, has progressed plans to introduce nine pay-and-display metres to the High Street, the Northgate, the Eastgate, the Old Town and both Dean Park and Station Road – the first on-street meters in the Scottish Borders.

They also want to drive in charges costing around 50 pence for a 45-minute maximum stay – with fines of £20 and £40 being imposed on anyone exceeding their ticket time.

But the plans have so far only attracted over-heated criticism.

A straw poll at the end of this week’s public meeting, which was organized by Peebles Community Council, found that all but one of the 100 or so attendees were against the installation of meters.

Douglas Wright, secretary of the community council, said: “The Community Council has taken the view for some time that the problem with parking in the town centre streets is caused by selfish drivers taking a chance and parking longer than permitted.

“And that the answer to this problem is not pay-parking but better enforcement of the existing regulations.

“It is better for local businesses if there is a regular turnover of vehicles and spaces so other people can get in to shops, banks and offices.”

The running costs of nine main street meters would amount to around £6,000 each year.

But angry residents claim the money would be better spent on funding another warden to patrol the streets.

Mr Wright added: “It was clear from the comments made by many at the meeting that the public do not accept that pay-and-display is the way to deal with congestion or to deal with people parking longer than permitted.

“On numerous occasions it was clearly indicated that the answer to enforcement of the current regulations.”

Lothian and Borders Police is responsible for the deployment of traffic wardens throughout the area but local inspector Stewart Sandilands declined to discuss the claims that enforcement needed to be stepped up in Peebles.

Around 40 tickets are issued by a single traffic warden each month throughout the Peeblesshire area.

A police spokeswoman told us: “We have a fulltime warden in Peebles and the surrounding area who is enforcing parking regulations.”

But the local community council has already written to the chief constable for Lothian and Borders Police, David Strang, to complain about the lack of enforcement – with claims being made that vehicles are regularly left all day on restricted zones.

Scottish Borders Council’s consultation period for the introduction of parking meters ends on January 31 – to have your say write to the Head of Legal Services, Scottish Borders Council, Newtown St Boswells.

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