Parking charges to return 'by end of June' in Edinburgh as council reverses lockdown suspension

Parking charges including pay and display are set to return to the Capital by the end of June at the latest, the Evening News can reveal.

Edinburgh City Council insiders confirmed to the Evening News plans for the reintroduction of pay and display and permit parking in the city was imminent and is likely to return by the end of June or potentially as soon as the end of the week.

Their reintroduction could see hundreds of parking attendants return to work prowling the street for those parking in pay and display bays and in permit-only spots.

Parking charges were suspended in Edinburgh by the council on 24 March to help key workers find places to park after their shifts.

The decision has however led to a loss of more than £12m in income for the council since the first week of lockdown.

One senior council insider told the Evening News: “The council are looking to reintroduce parking charges within the week. With budget deficits of around £50m, the council’s income streams need to start soon.”

Another said the plans included a phased approach with dispensation for residents with permits to use pay and display bays within their own zone, and that plans could be coordinated with other Scottish cities including Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee.

The move follows a motion to the council’s Policy and Sustainability Committee meeting this Thursday from the Edinburgh Greens calling for the reintroduction of paid-for parking.

If passed, it will force the council to reintroduce parking charges across the city “at the earliest opportunity” and at the latest by the time phase two of the Scottish Government’s lockdown easing route map is reached.

It is understood it would take less than 72 hours to restart the city’s parking charge infrastructure following inspections.

Green councillor and transport spokesperson, Claire Miller, said: “Transport Scotland has reported significantly increased volumes of vehicles on the roads.

“This means that there is an increase in pressure for a finite number of parking spaces, and the pressure is not coming from key workers, it’s coming from the general relaxation of the strict lockdown rules. A return to our previous levels of congestion and air pollution looms.

“The council therefore has a role to play in ensuring the fair and safe use of space in the city and re-introduction of pay and display parking charges is one way to be able to influence behaviour.”

Cllr Miller adds the move will free up space for those with permits and aid the business recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.

She said that the reintroduction would also help the council’s financial position given its projected £57m overspend for this financial year, with more than £12m lost through parking charges alone.

She added: “With only £17m of additional funding so far from the government, the council urgently needs to collect charges which are needed to provide it with the resources to carry on operating these essential services and keep the city running.”

However, Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors were less enthusiastic about the planned changes.

Liberal Democrat transport spokesman, Kevin Lang, said: “I’m wary about a rush to bring back parking charges. Even with the recent changes to lockdown, the Scottish Government is still telling people to stay at home. It means more people than usual need to park their cars at home during the day.

“The Council’s parking charges were suspended in part because there were not enough resident bays in controlled parking zones for those who had already paid for annual permits. That problem has not gone away.

“If charges are brought back then some arrangement or exemption is needed for residents parking. Otherwise, many folk could be clobbered financially through no fault of their own”.

The Conservative’s transport spokesman, Susan Webber said she welcomed the return of enforcement but said she would prefer the pay and display charge suspension to be continued.

She said: “Having not seen or had any confirmation of the scope of the parking charges to be reinstated, I would still like to see a continuation of the suspension of the pay and display areas and the relaxation of the resident parking, which are two initiatives that are still very much required during this time.

“The guidance on travel is still clear that you should consider if your journey is necessary and if you can, stay local. However, there are those that will need to take their car, if for example they are a key worker or are accessing places of employment or healthcare.”

Council leader, the SNP’s Adam McVey, said: “We are working on a recovery plan for the reintroduction of pay and display parking enforcement, which will be essential for keeping the city moving as restrictions begin to be eased.

“We are currently awaiting further guidance and will confirm a date for charges to be reintroduced very soon.”

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