Fees for permits for parking zones across South Lanarkshire will be removed across all areas.
A motion brought to the full council yesterday (November 7), by Councillor Gerry Convery and backed by Council Leader Joe Fagan requested to waive the charge for residential parking schemes.
Councillors approved the plans which will also see residents being reimbursed for any residential parking permit charges.
There are residents’ parking zones in parts of East Kilbride, Hamilton, Carluke, Cambuslang, Uddingston and Rutherglen.
Currently there’s a freeze on parking permits, but they cost £10 for each permit issued, and each parking zone has different terms and conditions and different times that permits need to be displayed.
Councillor Convery (East Kilbride Central South), said: “We looked at the zones in 2011 and every group in this council supported no charge, that’s been the view of the Labour group since the charge was muted, it was a saving policy that was put forward.
“The initial policy was the council would save £50,000, that was then reduced to a saving of £25,000 in 2021. And I’ve been consistent in my argument, not because I’ve got the biggest parking zone in South Lanarkshire, but It’s totally unfair to ask people to park their cars where they live and then the zones now are introduced in that particular area with permits.
“Let’s say the people don’t pay for the permits, then we go to take them to court then we go to bring admin people, it’ll end up costing us money. And as people know, once you set a charge, the charge doesn’t stay; all it does, every year, quite rightly, directors will come forward and add a five per cent increase.
“I’ve got to say and it’s not being political here, it’s a fact of life, I’ve had people who vote Conservative, Labour, SNP and Liberal Democrats come to me over this because this has been a long standing issue and it’s a serious issue where the people are concerned.
“So, I’m asking the colleagues in the room today please overturn, it’s not been enacted yet, so far there’s been 110 permits, because there’s a freeze on the permits now, there’s been 110 permits at £10 issued, that comes to £1100 that’s what we would need to refund to the people. So I’d ask all councillors to please support the motion today, and rescind the parking charges which are not in place at the present time and let’s keep it that way for the people that live in these zones.”
Councillor Joe ( East Kilbride Central North), added: “I just want to second the motion, the only point I’d add is that the concern for me and the core face of this, and attending the community council meetings, listening to feedback from residents, it’s an issue that did generate a lot of interest and opposition at the time, and I simply say to councillors across South Lanarkshire to bear in mind that 80 per cent of these permits come into East Kilbride Central North and Central South wards, it is a regarded locally as indiscriminate.
“The key thing for me and the reason that this is an important and important thing to back isn’t just because of the policy itself but it’s because I think this has in those communities become symbolic of a sense that the council isn’t listening.”
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