Published: Sunday, 18th July, 2010 9:30am
MSP SLAMS TRAFFIC PLAN
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Traffic measures ... MSP Kenneth Gibson is calling on urgent action to solve traffic chaos in Largs town centre.
Local MSP Kenneth Gibson believes Largs has become 'virtually inaccessible' due to the controversial Largs traffic management scheme - and is backing the strong concerns of shopkeepers and community councillors who want to immediately put the brakes on it.
Parliamentary member for Cunninghame North, Mr Gibson has written to Transport Scotland in a bid to get the scheme "sorted now before it damages Largs summer tourist trade" as he believes Largs has become crippled by weekend and holiday traffic like never before.
The MSP expressed his fears for the town's future after receiving a letter from Largs Community Council chairman Ian Murdoch urging him and traffic officials to act on the matter.
He told Mr Murdoch: "I do not believe it is acceptable to wait until after the summer period before carrying out an 'independent assessment' which is what Transport Scotland plans for the Traffic Management Scheme.
"It has to be sorted now before it damages Largs summer tourist trade."
The MSP also wrote to Transport Scotland's Chief Executive David Middleton, and pointed out that the Chief Inspector of the local police force shared Mr Gibson's concerns.
Have your say. .
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largonian
Unregistered User
Jul 19 10 06:35
Comment: 12492
So here is another one being led by the nose by the chair of the comedy cooncil...of course he wants to be reelected next year ! BUT is the reporter incorrect, as I distinctly rememeber the chair saying that this weas nothing to do with the comedy cooncil, just a mrdo rant ! Intteresting that murdo is so intellkigent he can think up new schemes without any training in UK and EU regulations on parkingh, width of trunk roads etc, and still is a window cleanrr....he should apply for a job reuqiring a degree in town planninig, and the legal and other technicalitites involved, and see if he even gets on the list ! Is he trying to cover up the mess he has made in objecting virulently over the last 6 or so years, and losing us a lot of cash in the process, just to try and show himself as Mr largs ?
The factual error of the reporter insinuating it was a comedy cooncil affiar is just what we epect.....stories are great but usually just that...stories !
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James Perman
Unregistered User
Jul 19 10 11:32
Comment: 12494
It was reported that the Traffic Management Plan has resulted in the loss of 70 parking spaces. Can somebody please identify exactly where these 70 spaces are (or were) as I cannot seem to make that number up! A space being designated as 'disabled parking' is not the loss of a space, by the way.
As another related point, on Sunday 18 July, at about 3 pm on a Glasgow Fair weekend, between all of the carparks in Largs at Barrfields, Brooksby, The Seafront, behind M&Co and at Gateside Street there were 79 unused off-street parking spaces, not counting those designated as 'disabled parking' in any of these carparks. I know, I walked round the town and counted the empty spaces.
So, a lack of visitors cannot be anything to do with a lack of parking, can it?
James Perman
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jakeyrollin
Unregistered User
Jul 19 10 13:15
Comment: 12496
Have to say, today was the first time in a long time I have taken my car into town (too wet to walk, I'd melt). I had to drop off my daughter and go to the Post office to mail a parcel. Drove round a few times and got a space....right outside the PO! Mailed my parcel, went to Nardini at the pier for a coffee and back well within the designated hour..not a hassle. Now in the dark old days that space would have been occupied by a nearby shopowner or staff or a visitor who would still be in Millport. I think if we all play by the rules this will work. It's by no means perfect but I genuinely believe it's a step in the right direction.
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******
Unregistered User
Jul 19 10 13:17
Comment: 12497
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largonian
Unregistered User
Jul 19 10 13:19
Comment: 12500
My comment was to agree with 12494, but 12496 also shows the fuss being orchesterated by one loudmouth....
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Jupiter
Jul 20 10 21:07
Comment: 12523
The modest reduction in the number of parking spaces in the town is not going to influence the number of visitors. To say so is just sour-grapes from locals who have, for years, been allowed free-rein to park selfishly and dangerously in our town. The laws on parking were long overdue for enforcement. Even in mid winter, most parking spaces were used, along with most of the yellow lines and various bits of pavement, and not a visitor to be seen within 20 miles!
Visitors, on the other hand, tend to fill up all of the south-side streets, and are thus relatively unaffected by town centre improvements - other than the few who do the decent thing and pay to park on the front, and unfortunately they now have to queue in the offside lane, since some lunatic put the bus stop on the front (anyone with half a brain knows where it should be sited). This effectively closes the northbound A78 to through traffic.
Mr P has counted empty car park spaces on a busy Sunday. No surprise there, I have to say. Locals all at home, and visitors all in Charles Street, John Street, May Street and the sea front, with a few closing the A78 attempting to access the car park.
At risk of being a bore, I once again must advocate the erection of a multi-storey, and provision of resident parking in the southside and appropriate town centre streets. A bitter pill to swallow, but the only real solution.
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largonian
Unregistered User
Jul 21 10 06:18
Comment: 12526
12523
I agree with all jupiter has to say, apart from the multi-storey car park...but only in the sense of "who will pay for it"...it wont be NAC, and the only ground could be that of the Stute, but would need a developer t come in and put it up, and with no real parking problem for visitors as has been proved, the users would be the residents, and I do not see them paying to park !!! They will not park in the old bus depot, so what chance in a new mulit-storey ?? I agree totally that the lack of enforcement over the years has agravvated the position.....The best place ofr buses is outside the station, but the front is better than outside harlequin whre the pavement is s so narrow...
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DontParkThere
Unregistered User
Jul 21 10 11:51
Comment: 12528
Jupiter your final paragraph, I totally agree. Living in the south side myself I totally agree with what you say about visitors. I can never get parked because of all the visitors dumping their cars and sometimes even going over to Millport for anything up to 2 weeks. Residents parking is a must. I see a lot of residents in Crawford street get parking tickets just because they have parked longer than 1 hour, but they live there! With this sailing thing on as well it's a nightmare. I have heard so many people say, "I really don't see what all the fuss is about parking," yes because you probably all have lovely big driveways. It's like wacky races here in the south side on a nice day. Multi story somewhere and residents parking. When the original plan was published in the library a few years ago they actually had this 1 hour parking thing over pretty much every street from Charles street to Beach way. Thankfully after many signatures and letters to the Council they scrapped that idea. There shouldn't be any parking restrictions apart from in the town centre.
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