Parking charges to be introduced from July 4

Seven council car parks will be affected, with 21 remaining free to park all day, every day.

The charges are being introduced to help pay for Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) locally, but crucially the council hopes that they will also help to support town centre businesses by encouraging turnover and freeing up spaces for shoppers.

Before the council took over responsibility for enforcing parking restrictions from the police, the Scottish Government required that the DPE scheme be self-financing.

The approved business case made it clear that enforcement fines would not be enough to cover costs and - as a result - charging for some council-owned parking spaces would be needed in town centres.

However, it will only affect a limited number of car parks and parking will remain free for the first two hours in every council parking space across East Dunbartonshire - with parking free in the evenings and at weekends.

Residents living in domestic properties with no allocated parking within town centres - who are considered to be detrimentally affected by the introduction of charging - will be eligible to apply for a parking permit.

This will be limited at the moment to one per property and there will be a charge to cover administrative costs.

As detailed previously, it is not intended to provide separate permits for town centre businesses in the first phase of delivery.

Charges will be brought in for the following car parks - which have been upgraded and capacities increased where possible:

· Milngavie - Douglas Street, Mugdock Road, Stewart Street (North) and Woodburn Way

· Kirkintilloch - Barleybank and William Patrick Library

· Bearsden - Roman Road.

The first two hours are free, with a sliding scale thereafter, up to a maximum of £5:

· 0-2 hours - free

· 2-4 hours - £1

· 3-4 hours - £2

· over 4 hours - £5

All of the car parks will be monitored. Any additional income accrued will be ring-fenced for parking projects.

Councillor Alan Moir, Convener of Development and Regeneration, said: “The enforcement of existing town centre on-street parking restrictions has led to an improvement in driver behaviour - reducing inconsiderate parking,

improving safety for all road users and encouraging turnover.”

Charging will be introduced for 460 spaces, while 749 will remain free of charge at all times in Milngavie, Kirkintilloch and Bearsden. The free car parks include:

· Milngavie - Mugdock Road (east), Riverside, Stewart Street (South), Ellangowan, Kersland, Milngavie Station, Milngavie Town Hall and Milngavie Library

· Kirkintilloch - David Donnelly Place, High Street, Catherine Street, Rochdale Place, Peel Park, Shamrock Street, Freeland Place, Oxford Street and Southbank House

· Bearsden - Brookwood, The Glebe, Bearsden Burgh Hall and Bearsden Station.