Highland Council taking new line on parking fees
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HIGHLAND Council hopes to put the furore over car parking charges firmly behind it later today with a new policy firmly based on “localism”.
The move has been welcomed as “a vast improvement” on the previous policy by anti-charges campaigners.
A special meeting of the council’s environment, development and infrastructure (EDI) committee will meet at Inverness headquarters to consider the fresh plan that adopts a “carrot but no stick” approach.
That is after widespread outrage for forcing changes on areas without consultation or concern for their impact.
The local authority now aims to address concerns across the region with a close to three months of consultation, engagement and assessment before parking charging plans are produced.
They have said this will allow genuine input from local residents into the process described as a “place-based strategy.”
Crucially, the final proposals will be decided by Highland councillors at their respective local area committees. The plans offer communities the chance to introduce charges if they wish to as the local authority eyes a projected income between £4 million to £6 million a year based on 149 sites.
They would also decide on the share of the split with three options available with the council taking:
- 70 per cent and the local ward budget getting 30 per cent of the revenues;
- The preferred option of a 60-40 split or;
- Even a 50-50 split.
Currently, the local authority controls 230 car parks but only charges at around 20 sites including in Aviemore.
The fees generate some £1 million annually with the bulk of that coming from Inverness’s Rose Street car park.
It means that the local councillors will have the power to introduce parking charges where they are appropriate and should take into account fears of the impact on their high streets.
Tain councillor Derek Louden said: “There are different issues in different areas, some places desperately need parking charge as a means of traffic management. But there are some towns where the high streets are dying and the introduction of charges would be incredibly harmful.”
Liz Denovan, the council’s executive chief officer for resources and finance, said in her report: “The new policy seeks to improve the process for considering local charges, provide a transparent way in which to consider objections from the local community and support a place-based approach for local areas by providing a share of the surplus income generated to spend on local priorities.”
Council officials have said any new arrangements should be in place by December 2020.
