Park and ride charges given green light despite objections

Backing for £1 per day levy as Fife Council cannot afford to bear brunt of running costs

Controversial plans to impose parking charges on commuters using Fife’s park and rides have been given the go-ahead.

The proposal, which will see a £1 a day charged at both Ferrytoll and Halbeath park and ride centres, drew widespread criticism and hundreds of objections.

Despite that, councillors at both South and West Fife and Cowdenbeath area committees approved the plan put forward in Fife Council’s budget earlier this year.

Conservative councillors on both committees made a failed bid to pause the introduction of the scheme.

At the South and West Fife meeting, they argued the park and rides, despite being a critical part of the national road network, were subject to non-domestic rates.

As such they wanted to park the scheme while the council approached the Scottish Government to ask that such facilities be treated in the same way as the roads they serve and so should be

We do not want to deter use of what is an exceptional facility...Fife Council can no longer afford to wholly bear these significant costs

withdrawn from the scope of NDRs or were zero rated.

With the installation of ticket machines and signs, the cost of the scheme will be around £85,000 at Ferrytoll and £60,000 at Halbeath.

Following the initial outlay, it is anticipated the move will recoup in the region of £190,000 a year at Ferrytoll, which costs £210,000 a year to run.

Funds in the region of £130,00 would be raised at Halbeath, which costs £170,000 a year to operate.

South and West Fife vice-convener, Labour councillor Andrew Verrecchia, said: “While we understand that the introduction of a £1 per 24-hour charge will be unpopular, it is important to realise that the income will go only part-way in offsetting the overheads.

“We do not want to deter use of what is an exceptional facility and both Ferrytoll and Halbeath will remain a very sustainable travel choice.

“Fife Council can no longer afford to wholly bear these significant costs.”

The introduction of the £1 fee at Halbeath was passed by Cowdenbeath area committee without discussion.

Conservative councillor Darren Watt had cut a lonely figure in attempting to halt the charge with an amendment opposing the setting aside of 285 objections from across the area.

With nobody to second his amendment, a motion to set aside the objections and press ahead with the £1 charge recommended by convener Linda Erskine, Labour, and seconded by Rosemary Liewald, SNP, was agreed.