New Lockerbie station car park given approval by councillors

A much-needed additional car park is set to be built next to Lockerbie train station.

The council’s planning committee on Wednesday approved proposals to create the 49-space car park in Sydney Place, which will be operated by the local authority.

The site will include four electric vehicle charging points and a CCTV pole, and will see the upgrade of a path running to Bridge Street and across to the train station.

The committee heard that Tyrone House had been located at the site, but has since been demolished to make way for the parking provision.

The extra parking provision will be welcomed by commuters and local residents who have complained for years about a parking nightmare around Lockerbie train station.

The station is the busiest in the region, with more than 230,000 passengers taking a train from there per year before the pandemic.

However, this has led to parking chaos due to commuters parking in surrounding streets and locals complaining about cars being “abandoned”.

Police requested that the council ensures there is an even spread of lighting throughout the car park to help prevent crime and antisocial behaviour. They also insisted that steps should be taken to ensure that any fencing and shrubbery does not reduce natural surveillance or hide car doors from line of sight.