CHARGING at all Peebles car parks is one of the options on the table due to be put to residents and visitors of the town.

Members of the Peebles Parking Study met on Wednesday (March 9) to discuss a draft questionnaire on the issue.

There is currently a mixture of fees at the Kingsmeadows, Neidpath, Edinburgh Road and Greenside car parks.

Community councillor Scott Watson told the meeting: “I’m of the opinion that we should have a uniform parking situation throughout the whole town regardless of what car park you’re in.”

But Philippa Gilhooly, Scottish Borders Council team leader for traffic and road safety management, said that she expects some resistance to that proposal.

“What you will find is people will probably come back and say they don’t want to because people don’t want to pay for parking which is their choice,” she said.

The Kingsmeadows car park is currently free all day, every day, as is the facility at Neidpath.

Meanwhile, the Edinburgh Road unit charges on Saturdays from 8.30am to 5.30pm, with costs ranging from £0.50 for up to two hours to £5.00 for over six hours.

At the Greenside car park people have to pay from Monday to Saturday between 8.30am to 5.30pm, again ranging from £0.50 to £5.00.

If parking charges are introduced any revenue raised, once overheads are covered, can be spent on environmental and infrastructure improvements in the Peebles area, according to the draft survey.

The proposed questionnaire also has a section on bus routes in the town, with respondents set to asked if they would like to see the X62, 90, 91 or 93 services moved away from the Eastgate and into the Edinburgh Road car park. This would mean the service would no longer stop at the Eastgate.

Chairing the meeting, Tweeddale East councillor Robin Tatler described the Edinburgh Road car park as “the gateway to Peebles”.

The draft will now be put to the community council before it is finalised.