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"Parking levy at beaches to start in May"

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    "
    The controversial levy at coastal car parks will see motorists charged £2 to leave their cars at Gullane Bents, Yellowcraig, Whitesands and Barns Ness, as well as the three car parks at Longniddry Bents and the three at John Muir Country Park.

    The charges were first proposed in 2007 and have been a hot topic of debate ever since.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/parking-levy-at-beaches-to-start-in-may-1-3304802

    (Can't find previous thread)

    Posted 10 years ago #
  2. Cyclops
    Member

    I remember years ago you had to pay to park in these car parks. The worry of course is that some drivers will park on verges, pavements, etc. outside the car parks to avoid the charges and, with police traffic wardens due to be abolished in East Lothian, enforcement may be almost non-existent.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  3. Lezzles
    Member

    I know I was asked to sign petitions against this by a number of friends. They got very huffy when I pointed out that currently management of these areas (clearing of rubbish, maintenance of parking areas etc) is covered by East Lothian council tax payers. The proposal is for a £2 nominal charge which seems entirely reasonable to me.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  4. chdot
    Admin

    @Lezzles

    We'll done!

    Posted 10 years ago #
  5. Dave
    Member

    If the £2 charge is too high, we'll know because the car parks will empty out. I suspect they will still be full, as £2 is ultimately great value for a maintained area to leave your car (just naturally not as good value as having it at someone else's expense).

    Posted 10 years ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

    "

    CONTROVERSIAL plans to bring in a coastal car parking charge at popular tourist beaches are facing further criticism after it emerged police officers were expected to enforce the proposal.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/beach-patrol-as-police-to-enforce-coastal-car-parks-1-3746342

    ?!

    Posted 8 years ago #
  7. It's a war on the motorist innit, I pay my road tax, and what is it spent on? Cycle lanes! My road tax should pay for free parking at popular destinations. If they start charging for these car parks people will stop going y'know, and then the local economy will suffer as no-one will spend money at the local shops which are 2 miles from the car park and people don't stop at at the moment because they just drive to the car parks and then drive home. Unlike those cyclists who can stop along the main street, parking for nothing at a lamppost, then parking for nothing chained to a railing at the beach. Just what do they add? Hmmm? Not even paying road tax and they're still allowed to use the beach! It's just not fair! These councils just want to stop everyone driving! Vote UKIP! Wibble!

    Posted 8 years ago #
  8. amir
    Member

    I do understand the concerns about using the police though. Surely the police should be monitoring more important things - like road safety.

    On the other hand perhaps the income from the car parks would be enough to employ car park attendants?

    Posted 8 years ago #
  9. gembo
    Member

    Two pounds seems reasonable? Also lots of people from Edinburgh on day trips but similar controversy at flotterstone or Harlaw thriepmuir car parks if city of embra try to raise revenue

    Posted 8 years ago #
  10. Nelly
    Member

    £2 is nothing really, especially if its split between 2 or 3 bodies - and probably a lot less than the petrol cost of getting there for most travellers.

    We have been at Seacliff a couple of times recently, and they charge £1 (as its a private road), ostensibly for providing a toilet / parking etc.

    I cant see the problem. There was someone with a shop in Gullane on tv last night stating that this would lose them business - hmmmmmmm

    Same topic, different spot -

    We were up at Loch Lubnaig last week and parked the car for 4 hours for £2 (I think it was £3 for the full day).

    This in the "previously unspoilt" (but actually full of lots of human waste) picnic spot halfway up the east of the loch. Its been tarted up with a little shop/camping facilites/bbq spots/toilets/bins - none of that comes free.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  11. "We have been at Seacliff a couple of times recently, and they charge £1 (as its a private road), ostensibly for providing a toilet / parking etc."

    Last couple of times I've been the barrier has been stuck up - I think that's broken at the mo...

    As you say, £2 is nothing, and I suspect the people complaining about it would think nothing of buying a family of four a round of ice creams from a van to eat down the beach.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  12. Kim
    Member

    The real issue is that people think that because the own a car they should therefore be able to leave it where ever they like, irrespective of the inconvenience it may cause to others. Ian Walker wrote a good blog post about this a few years ago.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  13. Cyclops
    Member

    I think the chances of the police enforcing this are vanishingly small, you just have to walk round any town in East Lothian to see the number of cars parked all day on double yellow lines without getting a ticket.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  14. PS
    Member

    You get the same in the Lake District. The National Trust charges for parking in an effort to recoup some of its costs of maintaining facilities, trails etc.

    It works as a selfish-pr*ck detector when you see a car parked up on verge just a few yards beyond the car park.

    I've often thought about getting some passive-aggressive "thanks for parking inconsiderately" (in its least foulmouthed incarnation) postcards for popping under the windscreen wipers of these cars. Also useful for pavement parkers, double yellowers...

    Posted 8 years ago #
  15. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I seem to recall Vogrie country park operates an elaborate buy-a-token-to-open-the-barrier system for collecting/enforcing the parking charge. Seemed to work, even if somewhat complex.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  16. steveo
    Member

    Vogrie is annoying, I keep forgetting that you need to buy a token before getting to the barrier!

    Posted 8 years ago #
  17. cb
    Member

    I seem to recall Vogrie being ludicrously badly sign-posted/laid out with the result that at least 50% of drivers got it wrong in some way.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  18. firedfromthecircus
    Member

    £2 is nothing if you are visiting from the big city a couple of times a year for day trips! It's a big deal if you live locally and use the beaches regularly to walk dogs, children etc and have already paid your East Lothian council tax. Most of the time I visit the beaches (at least once a week) I cycle there, but I can't cycle with the dog or the baby on the fatbike! I think East Lothian council tax payers should get a free pass and they should just rake in the money from the toonies. I'd be quite happy if that stopped some of them visiting.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  19. chdot
    Admin

    "I think East Lothian council tax payers should get a free pass"

    Seems reasonable...

    Posted 8 years ago #
  20. Tulyar
    Member

    Attendants to patrol the parking sites by bike = local job creation, and FPN's for cars driven away from the carriageway or obstructing traffic (all classes of it).

    Should make it financially viable and 1-2 staff could cover all parking areas plus roadside verges.

    Since Council is not obliged to provide roads for parking any parking on roads outwith designated areas = obstruction (s.129.2 Roads Scotland 1984 IIRC - max fine £1000 or driving on a footway = s.129.5 ) car parks and not road spaces managed by separate company.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  21. acsimpson
    Member

    I wouldn't expect CEC to offer me free parking so why would ELC offer it to their residents? Having said that the season ticket will offer a huge discount to anyone visiting more than once a fortnight.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  22. firedfromthecircus
    Member

    Where wouldn't you expect CEC to offer you free parking? How about Silverknowes? One of the citys beaches. Or Portobello?

    The point is these car parks are currently 'maintained' by ELC therefore paid for by the taxation on ELC residents, who will soon have to pay for a 'service' that they are currently already paying for through taxation. Visitors who do not pay tax to ELC will only be charged for their use once. Residents twice. Doesn't sound like a good deal for residents to me!

    Posted 8 years ago #
  23. Min
    Member

    Why should residents who don't have cars pay for those who do? I am sick of subsidising motorists. They should pay for their own car parks.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  24. Dave
    Member

    As the council maintains Lothian Buses vehicles and facilities, I think it's a bit rich that as a council tax payer I have to fork out twice if I actually want to use them. An outrage really!

    Of course, making people who use the beaches pay is simply a way of transferring the costs from all council tax payers towards the subset who are actually benefiting from the facility. On the whole I'm sympathetic to this approach especially when the implementation has a progressive element (the least well off, if they can't afford to park to walk the dog twice a day, 365 days a year, can still access the beach for free just by leaving the car behind).

    Posted 8 years ago #
  25. Except one of the reasons for bringing in the charges is, presumably, to remove the cost from the general taxation, thereby freeing up budget, ergo it won't form part of residents' tax anymore, and so they'll only pay once, as everyone else... I think...

    As for CEC, it doesn't offer free parking in the city centre, and many many residential areas have residential parking which is gained through paid permits, so it's well established already. So turning it round, why should Edinburgh residents be worse off in this respect than those in East Lothian? ;)

    £2 a day is a lot less than the charges in Edinburgh as well!

    Posted 8 years ago #
  26. gembo
    Member

    Many, many councils do this - raise some revenue by charging for parking in the summer season at the beach Suffolk, Norfolk,, East Riding, Mull,, Northumbria just thinking of places I have been on holiday. In land in Northumbria e.g. At hadrians wall maybe also charge as well as beach car parks.. It is not popular but it is a way cash strapped councils can generate income.

    The season ticket is a good idea for locals.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  27. Yep, a couple of car parks along Hadrian's Wall that I stopped in last year had parking ticket machines.

    Grey Mare's Tail near Rest and Be Thankful as well I think.
    The more you think about places you can go, the more out of step ELC seem!

    Posted 8 years ago #
  28. steveo
    Member

    Glentress, Ay, Inner, all charge to use a car park on government land that people fought tooth and nail to keep government owned.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  29. Dave
    Member

    Every time I go to Glentress I'm struck by the unbelievable value compared with alternatives that I might be into (like golf). I can't say I'm that fussed to be paying towards it in addition to being a taxpayer, and so indirectly a part owner of the forest.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  30. chdot
    Admin


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