Exclusive:'Deeply troubling' first week of seaside town North Berwick's new parking charges
Council says charges will give more drivers a chance to park and increase footfall
An East Lothian town regarded as one of the best places to live in Scotland has suffered a "deeply troubling" first week of controversial new parking charges which have led residents to fear for the future of its shops and businesses.
Susan Hopkin, a public sector lawyer who lives in North Berwick, told The Scotsman: "I won't be alone in having disturbed nights worrying about what is happening to the place I love to live in."
East Lothian Council introduced the charges on Monday to reduce congestion, give more drivers a chance to park and increase footfall.
They include 45 minutes free parking in the town centre, followed by £2 for 90 minutes. There are two separate “controlled parking zones” in adjacent areas.
The council also plans to introduce charges in Musselburgh, Haddington, Dunbar, and Tranent.
The North Berwick scheme has run into significant opposition, with 30 of the 40 ticket machines being vandalised with glue and spray paint which cost £40,000 to repair.
The local MSP and community council have called for the charges to be suspended.
Ms Hopkin said the introduction of the scheme, which had caused "widespread anger", was "widely seen as shambolic".
She said: “The signage is confusing and at odds with the legal document behind it.
“On the basis of that confusion, resentment and widespread anger at this system being brought in against the wishes of the people it affects, it seems that our town is now pretty deserted.
“The council has succeeded in getting rid of the cars but, in the process, they have also got rid of the people, the shoppers, the coffee drinkers and browsers.”
Ms Hopkin said those affected included charity shop volunteers, care workers and traders, some of whom had parked on the beach to avoid the charges.
She said: “One shopkeeper said they wouldn’t last two weeks at this rate. Another said the footfall was 10 per cent of normal. “There is an allowance for a 12-month review of the impact of the charges, but I fear too much permanent damage will have been done by then.
“Whatever the original issue with parking, it is wholly overshadowed by the council’s scheme. Their ‘cure’ is killing the patient.
“Feeling so powerless in the face of this creeping disaster, caused by the councillors we pay for, and in the face of so much opposition, is so disenfranchising and frustrating.”
John Wellwood, a member of the town’s community council, which has called for the charges to be paused, said: “Virtually nobody in the town supports parking [charges], even those in the parking zones where they might find it easier to park.
“If you had to write a book on how not to implement parking charges in a town, with your wildest imagination, you could not come up with some of the failures that the council has instigated.”
“On Tuesday, the community council voted to demand the council immediately pause parking charges until the shambles is sorted out – wrong or no permits, signs that are confusing or wrong, and lack of clear communications.
“It is also now calling on the council to compensate businesses due to the shambles.”
East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs SNP MSP Paul McLennan called on the minority Labour-run council to put the charges on hold pending a review of their impact.
He said: “We are already seeing significant impact. Early reports of decreased footfall, congestion at the GP surgery and confusion around signage are yet more proof of how poorly thought through the charges are.
“I have requested a meeting within the next week to discuss how impacts are being assessed and how the system can be simplified.”
An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “The majority of council areas in Scotland already have some form of town centre parking management in place.
“By introducing appropriate parking management measures in North Berwick, our aim is to improve the turnover of parking spaces and make it easier to access businesses and facilities. We hope to see greater footfall as a result.
“The measures will also help us to increase enforcement of illegal or unsafe parking by funding the deployment of two full-time parking attendants in the town, generate income to fund transport infrastructure improvements, and promote active travel.
“In formulating the parking management proposals, detailed research work was undertaken, and the scheme was developed following extensive engagement with local communities, including business owners.
“After receiving feedback during public consultations, a significant number of key changes to the proposals were made including, for example, increasing the amount of time for free parking before charges apply.
“Parking permits are available for residents and licensed short-term lets within the controlled parking xones, as well as for health and social care workers and North Berwick RNLI.
“These residents can apply for one-day permits for their visitors, including tradespeople working in their homes.
“For on-street parking, restrictions apply Monday to Saturday from 8:30am-4pm and on Sunday from 1pm-4pm. The signage shows the maximum amount of time that motorists can park during these periods.
“However, charging for on-street parking is only from 10am, with the first 45 minutes being free in some places such as High Street.
“In the first week of the new measures, we have been focusing on providing support to residents and visitors rather than issuing of penalty charge notices, with parking attendants assisting and advising people on street.
“This has helped to engage with and inform motorists, residents and businesses about the key features of the scheme and follows on from a significant amount of public information being made available prior to implementation – including the distribution of leaflets within the controlled parking zones and in other formats.”
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