North Ayrshire Council is heading towards a "recipe for disaster" with its latest parking solution to attempt to ease the pain for motorists in Largs, one local councillor has warned.
The arrival of enforced short-stay parking in Largs town centre - which is set to be implemented by the end of this year - has seen local councillors disagreeing on the way forward to support motorists when the changes take place.
Independent councillor Ian Murdoch says he believes alternative parking measures are necessary to compensate for the arrival of the new parking scheme, but says he has had no support from other councillors.
New parking wardens are set to be introduced as regulation of parking is decriminalised, though it won't happen until the end of the year or the start of 2024.
It means that police will no longer be enforcing parking regulations.
Decriminalised parking enforcement (DPE) is a regime which enables a local authority to administer its own parking penalties, including the issuing of penalty charge notices to vehicles.
It also means that shorter stay parking will come into play in Largs town centre of one hour parking and no return.
This means that people will only be able to park in Largs town centre for an hour, freeing up spaces and making it easier to park - albeit for a shorter spell than they can now.
Councillor Murdoch said: "Park and ride was ruled out for being too expensive and too complicated, but it doesn't mean we can't have it ever.
"They will be bringing in decriminalised parking enforcement, which means they will be issuing tickets, enforcing the traffic order that exists, and we need longer stay parking. We need alternative measures.
"It is all very well saying we are bringing in enforcement, which I am very much in favour of; however there are no alternative parking measures whatever.
"My parking marshal plan, bringing in marshals to direct traffic to available spaces in the town, got outvoted by the North Coast councillors this year.
"We need several tools in the box to ease the pain.
"We need to look at long term solutions for long term parking.
"Decriminalised parking is going to come in November, and we should have had an agreement in some shape or form to have parking marshals, additional car parking in the appropriate places, and some form of park and ride.
"At this moment we are going to have decriminalised parking and no alternative measures, and in my opinion that is a recipe for disaster."
However, Conservative councillor Tom Marshall said he did not agree with his colleage, saying that alternative long term parking measures will not be necessary when DPE comes into effect.
He said: "The Park and ride plan was dismissed as it was far too expensive, coming in at over £400,000.
"The arrival of decriminalised parking will encourage people to walk. No other local authority is providing extra parking spaces when decriminalised parking is introduced.
"Parking has to be rationed, and decriminalised parking will ration it, and help free up spaces in the town centre, as planned.
"Lots of people can park a little bit further out of town where there are plenty spaces.
"In terms of finding alternative parking on greenbelt spaces next to the Brisbane Centre, or elsewhere, we have been round the houses with that one, and anyway, the council has a policy of not replacing green areas with car parks."
Councillors have agreed that those who break the parking rules under DPE will be fined £100 - but there is expected to be a 'bedding-in' process lasting several weeks before the rules are fully enforced.
A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “Decriminalisation of parking enforcement (DPE) powers are expected to be transferred to the council late in 2023 with the implementation thereafter.
“The Council is currently advertising for parking attendants and, once employed, the people recruited will undergo training.
“There are currently no plans for other parking measures, and we will monitor the impact of DPE when it is in place.
“One of the main aims of DPE is to free up town centre parking bays.”
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