Edinburgh parking: Controlled Parking Zone leaves residents in nearby streets struggling to find spaces

People living in and around Lockharton Avenue in Craiglockhart say the area has been flooded by commuters and others leaving their cars there to avoid having to pay for parking in a recently introduced Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) close by.

And Edinburgh transport convener Scott Arthur admitted the council had failed to realise the CPZ would have such an effect on the Lockhartons. Now the plan is to designate a Priority Parking Area in Lockharton Avenue and surrounding streets to make it easier for residents to park. The transport and environment committee will be asked to back the move next week.

Councillor Arthur said: “The previous expansion of the CPZ did result in some displacement parking into the Lockharton area and the residents have raised concerns about this, saying they find it very difficult to park in their street because there are so many people, commuters and so on, leaving their cars there all day.

“Designing CPZs in terms of where parking is going to be displaced is both an art and a science - and I think it's pretty clear on this occasion the council didn't get it quite right and it's made life quite difficult for people in the Lockhartons who have been struggling to park their cars, so I think it's absolutely right we listen to residents on this.”

However Cllr Arthur warned the new scheme would not be brought in immediately. He said a report to the committee set out an order of priority for implementing parking schemes in the city.

The council had looked at the problem in the Lockhartons. “The report makes clear action is justified, but there might be other areas that remain a higher priority, so Lockharton will be put on the list but it wont be ranked top of the list.

“There is still some engagement to be done with residents and the scheme would have to be designed, of course - I think we’re talking about next year at the earliest.”

The report ranks the Lockhartons as 14th on a long list of schemes to be implemented. Cllr Arthur said: “Officers would rather stick to the ranking because it’s based on priority and linked to the existence of other schemes around them.”

He continued: “It's difficult wit CPZs beause, although there can be pushback against them, by and large once controlled parking comes to an area, whatever shape or form it is, people want it because they're finding it just so difficult to park their car outide their house. And thats certainly the case in the Lockhartons - people are asking for restrictions to e imposed in their area just to stop people dumping their cars  there all day long.

“It's right that we listen to residents on this, but we have to listen to the residents right across all these target areas and make sure we’ve got the balance right.  The Lockhartons is a little bit different because it is a problem which a previous decision of the council failed to predict was going to occur.”