COUNCIL TO HIKE PARKING PRICES
Impact on city centre footfall concern
Parking fines and the cost of using council car parks and street bays will be hiked from next month leading to concerns over falling footfall in town centres.
Fines will increase from £60 to £100 and on-street parking in Perth city centre, for example, will increase from £1.30 for one hour to £1.60 - a jump of 23 per cent.
Parking charges at Bell’s Sports Centre and the mothballed Rodney Pavilion will also rise.
The increased charges come into effect on April 17, following in line with new guidance from Transport Scotland.
Vicki Unite, Perthshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive, said the increased costs could hit those already struggling with the cost of living crisis.
She added: “Obviously anything that deters city centre footfall that might impact on businesses is not good, although I am mindful that council budgets have to be balanced.
“It is perhaps not great timing however when we are looking to encourage a rejuvenation of the High Street generally and there have been signs that people are keen to engage with city centre businesses again after a long period of enforced isolation and home working.
“Staff too, working in city centre premises, who rely on public parking may find it difficult to pay more for parking in the midst of a severe cost of living crisis.”
Terry Arnott, owner of Highland Bike Tours in Perth, believes there is too little footfall in the city as it is.
“People are not helped by the fact that the council don’t have an active tourism officer,” he said.
“The parking prices can’t help footfall in general.
“There are not that many people who come into Perth centre as it is - there is nothing to do.
“Eighty per cent of visitors come to the area at tea time, stay over and then leave the next day.
“Bars and restaurants will be happy in the evenings but it concerns the cafes during the day.
“That has a massive knock on effect.”
He went on to add: “In the time I have been open all my customers are tourists.
“It is a stop off for people travelling up to the Highlands or coming back down to Edinburgh or Glasgow airport.
“The council don’t promote the tourism side of it enough here.
“People think they do but they don’t.”
The budget decision will cover the tax year for 2023/2024 with parking penalties increasing for the first in 22 years.
The offer of a free first 15 minutes of parking across Perth and Kinross will, however, remain. There will also be no increase in residents’ parking permits.
The council said the revenue from the increase in charges will be “reinvested in parking facilities across the area”.
This will also include investment in electric vehicle charging points, which was also agreed during the budget process.
It is expected that other Scottish local authorities will be raising their Penalty Charge Notice levels.
All on and off street charges apply between the hours of 8am and 6pm from Monday to Saturday.
Penalty Charge Notices will be charged at £100 from the point of issue.
If a penalty charge notice is paid within 14 days of issue, there will be a 50 per cent discount amounting to a total charge of £50.
If penalty charge notice is not paid after eight weeks of issue, there will be an increase of 50 per cent amounting to a total charge of £150 if paid after charge certificate issued.
Vehicle uplift charges will be £150 per uplift and storage charge (after uplift) will be £20 per day.
Bay Suspensions per bay per day will be £17.40 for on and off street.
The council don’t promote the tourism side of it enough here Terry Arnott