Council is driving us parking mad

Dear editor I was somewhat disappointed to read the PA article‘Parking mad over council decision’ in the PA on Friday, June 22.

I am the Main Street resident quoted in the article. It came out like I was some sort of penny pincher, furious at losing a cheap parking option.

What I and other Main Street residents were upset about was the removal of the right to park at all unless one parked up to half a mile away in some distant residential street, because the only car park we could leave our cars when not in use was the Back Wynd car park and for this, the parking permit was not valid.

Everywhere else is covered by double yellow lines as far as the eye can see.

The parking area in front of Bridgend Court is limited to 30 minutes as it is intended for shoppers and not residents.

The Back Wynd, without a permit, is impossible because, even if we were willing to pay £1.10 an hour, for up to 60 hours in the week, when charges apply, it has a four hour maximum stay and is therefore not suitable for residents.

The attitude of the council has been intransigent in that they merely respond to everything by saying a mistake has been made and must be corrected without being able to identify what the error was or when it was made.

To be told that all our permits were being removed without an discussion or warning was a nasty shock.

The feeling of residents I have spoken to is that the council have decided that we were never entitled to a permit even though we have had them for years - 16 in my case and 25 years in another.

The council will increase its revenue from the Back Wynd car park by getting rid of permit holders paying £120 per year and letting out the spaces that they would occupy at £1.10 an hour each.

A good deal for the council but a serious problem for Main Street car owners.

Representations on our behalf to our three elected local councillors and an MSP have been ignored and a compromise solution by one councillor to renew permits temporarily until a parking review could be carried out was simply vetoed by council officers with the usual mantra of: “A mistake has been made and has to be rectified.”

W B Smart Main Street Perth