New car parking limits to be rushed in early
The Scotsman
MICHAEL BLACKLEY (mblackley@edinburghnews.com mailto:mblackley@edinburghnews.com?subject=New)
19 June 06
ON PATROL: Hundreds of extra streets will be covered by Enforcers when the forthcoming measures to tackle problem parking come into effect.Picture: KENNY SMITH
DEADLINES for introducing new parking restrictions across large parts of the city are set to be brought forward by up to five months.
The move means the city's dreaded parking Enforcers will be patrolling hundreds of extra streets within 18 months.
The new parking restrictions will be brought in earlier than planned after the council secured a contract with a company that is able to carry out the work more quickly.
The extension of the controlled parking zone will now be fully operational by November 2007 - five months earlier than was first planned.
And while residents of Hillside, Broughton, Marchmont and the Grange will be the first to see active pay-and-display machines and residents' parking bays at the same September 1 start date as was originally planned, other areas of the city will face charges much earlier than they first expected.
The new dates have been announced after Raynesway Construction, a division of Balfour Beatty, secured the £1.45 million contract to put up all the signs associated with the scheme.
They were awarded the contract after putting in a bid that cost the council less than the others, as well as taking far less time to complete.
The second phase of the scheme, which affects Inverleith and Merchiston, is expected to be operational by next January, three months ahead of the original schedule.
The zones that make up phase three, including Dalry and parts of Comely Bank, will be completed by July 16, 2007, two months ahead of the estimated finishing date.
The whole project will be up and running on November 5, 2007, when the final stages in Craigleith, Orchard Brae, Wester Coates and Morningside are completed five months ahead of schedule.
Councillor Andrew Burns, the city's transport leader, said: "The contractor proposed completing the Controlled Parking Zone extension more quickly.
"Speeding up the process will mean local residents will enjoy the benefits more quickly and find parking easier near their homes.
"In many of these areas, local councillors and residents have complained about parking pressures. Controls will ensure that local residents receive priority over other users in residential streets, while providing short-term public parking near shops so customers and suppliers always have easy access."
The £3 million extension to the controlled parking zone is designed to drive out the problem of commuters parking their cars in unrestricted residential streets before catching the bus to work.
But objectors have claimed the scheme will hit businesses, parents, carers, the elderly and some residents.
The council hopes that the revised start dates will mean that there is greater continuity in the scheme, and the problem of people parking in residential areas before travelling into the city will not just be moved on to the next free area.
Cllr Burns said: "The contractor provided the best price and best quality for the job - something that we always look for - and their plans should lead to less disruption all round.
"Bringing forward the start dates will provide greater continuity. In particular, it will reduce commuter parking in other parts of the extension where controls haven't taken effect yet. Commuters can then use other options, like park-and-ride and public transport."
The earlier completion dates were welcomed by Councillor Allan Jackson, the Conservative transport spokesman on the city council. He said: "There is general agreement within the council that we need to extend the controlled parking zone, and it does need to stretch out beyond the city centre.
"We now have the people in place to do it, and if it can be speeded up by them then so be it. It is going to happen anyway and it might as well be sooner rather than later.
"In my area [Trinity] most people are generally relaxed about it. They realise that if they are going to need to pay a wee bit to park outside, at least there won't be incomers creating their own park-and-ride schemes by parking outside the city and getting the bus into town.
"There might well be a knock-on effect of the whole thing, and the problem might be moved further out, but we will just have to look at that in the future. The sooner it happens and we can see that, the better."
But South Edinburgh MSP Mike Pringle is concerned that some residents in Craiglockhart who were campaigning to be included in the controlled parking area will no longer get the chance to be.
He said: "My concern is about whether anyone has consulted on this and asked the residents or local councillors what they think.
"I found 80 per cent of residents in the area of Craiglockhart just off where Colinton Road and Polwarth meet wanting the scheme extended to include them.
"If it is all brought forward, I can't see the council bringing people back later to carry out more work. These people in Craiglockhart are just going to miss out.
"The council can't just make this kind of decision without consulting on it."
Liz O'Malley, Lib Dem councillor for North Morningside and Grange, said: "We need to be sure that there is time to discuss any changes that might need to implemented in Morningside, so there is a concern that the starting date has been brought forward.
"But the earlier start will mean that there will not be the same commuter pressure on Morningside for the same period of time, which is good news."
MICHAEL BLACKLEY (mblackley@edinburghnews.com mailto:mblackley@edinburghnews.com?subject=New)
19 June 06
ON PATROL: Hundreds of extra streets will be covered by Enforcers when the forthcoming measures to tackle problem parking come into effect.Picture: KENNY SMITH
DEADLINES for introducing new parking restrictions across large parts of the city are set to be brought forward by up to five months.
The move means the city's dreaded parking Enforcers will be patrolling hundreds of extra streets within 18 months.
The new parking restrictions will be brought in earlier than planned after the council secured a contract with a company that is able to carry out the work more quickly.
The extension of the controlled parking zone will now be fully operational by November 2007 - five months earlier than was first planned.
And while residents of Hillside, Broughton, Marchmont and the Grange will be the first to see active pay-and-display machines and residents' parking bays at the same September 1 start date as was originally planned, other areas of the city will face charges much earlier than they first expected.
The new dates have been announced after Raynesway Construction, a division of Balfour Beatty, secured the £1.45 million contract to put up all the signs associated with the scheme.
They were awarded the contract after putting in a bid that cost the council less than the others, as well as taking far less time to complete.
The second phase of the scheme, which affects Inverleith and Merchiston, is expected to be operational by next January, three months ahead of the original schedule.
The zones that make up phase three, including Dalry and parts of Comely Bank, will be completed by July 16, 2007, two months ahead of the estimated finishing date.
The whole project will be up and running on November 5, 2007, when the final stages in Craigleith, Orchard Brae, Wester Coates and Morningside are completed five months ahead of schedule.
Councillor Andrew Burns, the city's transport leader, said: "The contractor proposed completing the Controlled Parking Zone extension more quickly.
"Speeding up the process will mean local residents will enjoy the benefits more quickly and find parking easier near their homes.
"In many of these areas, local councillors and residents have complained about parking pressures. Controls will ensure that local residents receive priority over other users in residential streets, while providing short-term public parking near shops so customers and suppliers always have easy access."
The £3 million extension to the controlled parking zone is designed to drive out the problem of commuters parking their cars in unrestricted residential streets before catching the bus to work.
But objectors have claimed the scheme will hit businesses, parents, carers, the elderly and some residents.
The council hopes that the revised start dates will mean that there is greater continuity in the scheme, and the problem of people parking in residential areas before travelling into the city will not just be moved on to the next free area.
Cllr Burns said: "The contractor provided the best price and best quality for the job - something that we always look for - and their plans should lead to less disruption all round.
"Bringing forward the start dates will provide greater continuity. In particular, it will reduce commuter parking in other parts of the extension where controls haven't taken effect yet. Commuters can then use other options, like park-and-ride and public transport."
The earlier completion dates were welcomed by Councillor Allan Jackson, the Conservative transport spokesman on the city council. He said: "There is general agreement within the council that we need to extend the controlled parking zone, and it does need to stretch out beyond the city centre.
"We now have the people in place to do it, and if it can be speeded up by them then so be it. It is going to happen anyway and it might as well be sooner rather than later.
"In my area [Trinity] most people are generally relaxed about it. They realise that if they are going to need to pay a wee bit to park outside, at least there won't be incomers creating their own park-and-ride schemes by parking outside the city and getting the bus into town.
"There might well be a knock-on effect of the whole thing, and the problem might be moved further out, but we will just have to look at that in the future. The sooner it happens and we can see that, the better."
But South Edinburgh MSP Mike Pringle is concerned that some residents in Craiglockhart who were campaigning to be included in the controlled parking area will no longer get the chance to be.
He said: "My concern is about whether anyone has consulted on this and asked the residents or local councillors what they think.
"I found 80 per cent of residents in the area of Craiglockhart just off where Colinton Road and Polwarth meet wanting the scheme extended to include them.
"If it is all brought forward, I can't see the council bringing people back later to carry out more work. These people in Craiglockhart are just going to miss out.
"The council can't just make this kind of decision without consulting on it."
Liz O'Malley, Lib Dem councillor for North Morningside and Grange, said: "We need to be sure that there is time to discuss any changes that might need to implemented in Morningside, so there is a concern that the starting date has been brought forward.
"But the earlier start will mean that there will not be the same commuter pressure on Morningside for the same period of time, which is good news."
posted by Neil Herron at 1:55 PM
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