£5 a day to park in public parking spaces? Have your say...

That is one of the proposals included in a controversial new scheme to pay for traffic wardens in East Dunbartonshire.

Plans were given the green light at a meeting of the full council on Thursday.

The majority of members agreed to the introduction of charges in council car parks and a Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) scheme.

Under DPE the council will employ its own traffic wardens, with costs partially covered by enforcement penalties.

But a further £197,000 to fund traffic wardens will need to be found annually – hence the car parking charges, which will be enforced Monday to Friday.

The plan is that there will be no charges for the first two hours.

To park between two and three hours will cost £1, for three to four hours it will be £2, and for four hours and over it will cost £5.

It is estimated the charges will bring in around £468,000 a year. The extra money will help cope with any shortfall in “projected occupancy” levels.

Any surplus could be redeployed to support other traffic and transport initiatives.

Council leader Rhondda Geekie, said: “We are trying to keep town centres viable and there will be free parking at the weekend.

“If we find we are making more money than needed, we can extend the free parking.”

The proposals will go before a development and infrastructure committee for final approval.

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