Paying for parking in Pentlands - Sue Webber
Apart from street lighting and the bins, plenty of us don’t see much for our council tax, and councils spend a lot of effort thinking up new ways to take our money.
Edinburgh’s Garden Tax to have brown bins emptied has been reluctantly accepted, and when this year’s budget is approved next month, parking fees and residents’ permits in the ever expanding controlled parking zones will soar. Not forgetting Low Emission Zone fines.
To the list can be added new parking charges in the Pentlands after a decision by the Pentland Hills Regional Park Joint Committee last week makes it the only part of Edinburgh with round-the-clock, seven-days-a-week tariffs like commercial multi-storey car parks. Even George Street isn’t 24/7.
Residents who have always enjoyed driving to reservoirs to walk their dogs will be offered the “privilege” of buying an annual permit for £70, but with no guarantee of a space in the peak summer months. Or a steep walk up.
With no restrictions on nearby roads, the inevitable consequence will be visitors parking on the verges and causing chaos when large agricultural vehicles need access.
The claimed benefits are new toilets, which aren’t yet functional, and the installation of 7kw electric vehicle charging points, which are as much use as a phone charger.
So why is it happening when there are so many problems? It’s because NatureScot, the Scottish Government’s agency simply isn’t spending enough to maintain basic services, and instead of standing up for citizens, the council has taken the soft option to fleece them.