Edinburgh Council policy clashes are never-ending – Iain Whyte

In its infinite wisdom, the ruling coalition is putting forward diametrically opposed plans at the same time, says Iain Whyte

There are to be more esidents’ parking spaces but they will be shared with paying visitors

In a strange quirk of “council land” the latest chief executive’s report was illustrated with an infinity sign – an ourobos. Apparently, this was to symbolise the never-ending nature of public policy.

While this theory may pervade the ivory towers of policy makers the public expect the council to deliver basic services well. If we have policies, they should work together and the whole should deliver a meaningful result – some sort of end point or conclusion.

The latest transport committee saw a shining example of policy clash where never-ending is getting in the way of delivery. An existing policy – the Parking Action Plan – has taken so long to deliver it has now collided with one of the glitzy new “mega policies” that this SNP administration trumpets in place of improving services. For whilst the parking plans have been making their slow way through the legal and policy process the razzmatazz of the City Centre Transformation (CCT) has been out for consultation.

Iain Whyte is the Conservative group leader at Edinburgh City Council

Proper parking provision and enforcement is important because it prevents congestion and dangers to pedestrians and cyclists. So, the passing of this long-promised increase in residents parking spaces –which remember are paid for handsomely – should theoretically be a cause for celebration. However, the increase comes in the guise of shared use parking – that is shared between resident permit holders and paying visitors.

The CCT meanwhile wants to stop people driving into, or in, the city centre. It wants a pedestrian-friendly zone and will take pay and display parking off the commercial streets. Effectively it moves these “parking visitors” from the places they want to visit and forces them to the newly created shared spaces in nearby residential streets instead.

The threat is very real. Residents’ areas swamped with visiting cars as other spaces dry up. And don’t think this just affects the area immediately around the city centre as more and more areas are planned for parking controls in the years to come.

How will these areas balance resident versus visitor parking? Or will it all be shared use, causing difficulties for residents whenever it is busy?

As the schemes don’t align, we Conservatives’ have called for clarity and a redesign. It is a pretty pass when the main opposition party is having to tidy up diametrically opposed policy positions put forward simultaneously by an SNP administration that just hasn’t thought things through. The one certainty is that there will be costs too to resolving all of this – all borne by the taxpayer.

There are plenty other policy clash examples too. One belter is the contradiction of funding the trams from a special dividend from Lothian Buses while the tram roadworks and future removal of bus routes will hit bus profits.

And then there is the contrast between the council’s ambition to build affordable housing when its own land supply projections show it can’t be done.

Surely there must be some in this administration that see the need to trim the glossy policy documents and concentrate on delivering what’s needed and possible?

Regrettably, we currently only see those overburdened by policy making mistakes that the city pays for. It is high time we ended this never-ending story.

Iain Whyte is the Conservative group leader at Edinburgh City Council