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Parking charges proposed for East Lothian town centres as consultation gets approval

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date28 June 2022
Proposals to introduce on-street and off-street charges as well as short stay spaces and residential zones will all be included in the public consultation which will start next month

Council leader Norman Hampshire, Labour, told a virtual council meeting today that residents in town centres were "living a nightmare" because of parking problems and he warned: "Doing nothing is not an option."

However concerns were raised about making sure people across the county were able to have their say in the 10 week consultation with claims some of those most affected were often "least heard."

And Conservative councillors refused to back the consultation saying charging people in the current cost of living crisis would damage high streets because people would stay away.

Conservative Councillor Lachlan Bruce told the meeting: "We are less than two months out of a local government election when no party included introducing parking charges in their manifestos.

"It will harm our town centres and local businesses."

Council officers said introducing on and off street parking charges could bring "significant income" to the local authority.

But they said a 'reasonable charge' would have to be established to ensure it did not drive people to out of town shopping centres such as Fort Kinnaird where free parking was available by overcharging.

Councillor Hampshire said the pressure on residents in some towns who could not find parking spaces near their homes had to be addressed.

He said: "Doing nothing is not an option, we will damage our town centres if we do not do something for the people who are living there who continue living...

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