Edinburgh prepares for introduction of Sunday parking charges

Work has begun way to prepare for the introduction of Sunday parking charges in the city centre and other changes to the Capital’s parking controls.

Parking charges will apply on Sundays, 12.30-6.30pm Picture: Greg Macvean

The extension of pay-and-display charges to Sunday afternoons, 12.30-6.30pm, in Zones 1-4 starts in spring next year.

Other changes under the city council’s Parking Action Plan include an increase in the number of “shared use” parking bays, the introduction of visitor permits for the first time in Zones 1-8 and a revised banding system for residents’ permit charges tied to vehicle emissions.

Signs are being amended and parking bay markings changed to accommodate the moves.

The council says the changes are key to realising its ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030.

The original plans for Sunday parking charges were changed to be afternoons-only to avoid penalising people driving to church services, but businesses have warned charges could drive customers away from the city centre and in a public consultation, 91 per cent of respondents opposed Sunday charges.

Shared-use bays mean the same spaces are available for both permit holders and pay-and-display customers, improving the flexibility of parking provision, allowing visitors to make use spaces when there is less demand from permit holders and making 3,000 extra spaces available to permit holders.

Residents’ permit :charges will move from a five-band to a seven-band system linked to vehicle emissions and there will be annual increases based on inflation, with higher bands seeing higher increases to encourage people to choose more environmentally friendly vehicles.

The council says its parking plan will help reduce car commuting and congestion, improve safety and air quality and encourage walking, cycling and public transport use.

Transport convener Lesley Macinnes said: “We are working toward a greener, healthier more sustainable transport future, where we have achieved carbon neutrality and improved air quality. It’s essential that we address parking and car use if we are to realise this, helping to create a better, safer place to live.

“Of course, we know how important parking provision is for residents and businesses, and the Parking Action Plan strives to balance these needs with our ambitions. These actions were developed with the people that live and work here in mind and we will continue to take this into account as we progress with plans.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.