PARKING WOE
Commuters driving shop bosses mad
Retail centre chiefs have called for action from South Lanarkshire Council to stop commuters at Hairmyres train station filling up their parking spaces.
Max McAneny from C.V.O Ltd – who operate the St James Retail Centre– revealed that around 25 drivers take up a spot for a full day and then walk over to the station.
Tenants withing the centre have raised concerns that the parking problems are having an impact on business.
And now they want to see a new car park for commuters added urgently to prevent the issue getting worse.
People have long called for more spaces – with many resorting to parking at the hospital, leading to a protest by NHS Lanarkshire staff in a bid to raise awareness, or on side streets.
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) announced earlier this year that more funding for park-and-ride spaces at both Hairmyres and East Kilbride stations had been secured.
Mr McAneny has been locked in talks with the council over the past few months and has even put forward his own potential plans for a new facility.
He also called for assistance on cracking down on drivers leaving their cars before heading to the station.
“There have been concerns from our tenants that parking facilities are being taken up by people who are leaving their car all day,” Mr McAneny told the News this week.
“We would like the council to help enforce this.
“We know there have been similar problems at Hairmyres Hospital and have suggested alternatives to them.”
Mr McAneny continued: “This has been ongoing for over four months.
“We want to see the council come to some form of arrangement to deal with the station car park.”
Gordon Mackay is South Lanarkshire Council’s head of roads and transportation services and he defended the facilities available while urging the company to introduce their own parking restrictions to prevent commuters taking up spaces.
He continued :“We have previously advised t he retail centre management company that they should consider introducing restrictions.
“As the car park is private there are two options.
“The first option, which they declined, was for the councilto introduce and manage restrictions on their behalf.
“The second option that has been put to the management company is for them to consider introducing parking restrictions through a private parking company.
“To date they appear not to have taken this forward.”
Mr Mackay added that the local authority was looking at a number of options for new park-and-ride facilities – including using the Kirktonholme football pitches for a car park, as previously reported by the News this summer.
But this suggestion did not go down well with football teams in the area and folk within the local community.
Mr Mackay said: “With regards to parkand-ride priorities, the council is reviewing these and it is anticipated a decision will be taken over the next number of months on where we will focus our priorities.”