Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Angus parking may cost more than Kensington
ANGUS residents will pay more for on-street parking than motorists in Kensington and Chelsea if new measures are introduced.
People across the region are being asked to fork out £260 per vehicle for an annual permit for off-street parking as part of new proposals by Angus Council.
But one Kirriemuir resident is taking the fight to council chiefs over their “extortionate” charges.
Laura Robbie, 32, has launched a petition in a bid to persuade the council to lower the permit costs.
The NHS worker claims the council ignored a recommendation in a consultation from residents who were prepared to pay a £90 fee.
She said: “We have to have access to park here and we have to use the on-street parking provided.
“I am actually in support of a permit system but only as long as it is proportionate and, in this case, it’s not. The proposals by Angus Council are absolutely extortionate.
“It would be £500 extra a year for our household.
“If you look at the annexe in the consultation report you can see that people had suggested a tariff of £90 per year which was felt to be appropriate – but they’ve just disregarded it.”
Laura’s petition breaks down research carried out into other parking permits across the UK.
Parking i n Angus would be between 13-68% more expensive than in Kensington and Chelsea (£84-£228) – where average house prices are more than 10 times that of in Angus, 81% dearer than some areas of Glasgow (£50) and between 62-81% more costly than in Fife (£50-£100, dependent on location).
Laura added: “I j ust find it frustrating. If they listened to residents they’d find that people aren’t saying that they’re not going to pay it – they just feel that it’s far too high. We did a basic computer search and you can see that we’d be cheaper to park i n Chelsea or Kensington and, compared to Kirrie, that’s just outrageous.
“I j ust think they’ve given absolutely no consideration to residents at all.”
Angus Council finance convener Angus Macmillan Douglas said: “The re-introduction of parking charges in Angus will bring the council in line with the 75% of Scottish authorities who charge and allow us to invest in our transport and other essential services in what are challenging times. The proposed charge will still be less than is charged by our neighbours in Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth.
“I am sure the retained free period of on-street parking will be welcomed by t hose who have campaigned for it, while the required new funding will also help to protect essential services.”