Edinburgh's plans for parking permits and restrictions to be extended come under fire from residents

Residents in parts of the Capital earmarked for new parking restrictions have hit out the plans, insisting their streets don't have a parking problem.

Let us know what you think and join the conversation at the bottom of this article.

Formal consultations are now under way on creating new controlled parking zones (CPZs) in several areas around Leith and Gorgie.

But people living there, who would have to pay for permits to park outside their homes, are objecting.

Andy Wright and Tracy Griffen say the CPZ proposals come on top of the pandemic and the tramworks

Business owners Tracy Griffen and Andy Wright, who live and work in Balfour Street, off Leith Walk, say the CPZ would cause problems for their fitness studio when they are already suffering the effects of the pandemic and the tramworks.

Tracy said: "I'm all for having less cars in Edinburgh – I helped start the Edinburgh festival of cycling in 2013 and I'm a real advocate of active travel – but the timing of this is just atrocious.

"We've got the tramworks on our doorstep, literally, and with Covid it has been difficult trying to keep a business going on Leith Walk.

"There is no problem with parking on Balfour Street. They're trying to fix something that’s not a problem."

Residents say there is no daytime parking problem in Moat Street, Slateford.

She said many of her clients were elderly and disabled people who came by car to the studio.

Andy added: “Clients currently need to navigate a maze created by the council's tram-related road closures. To charge them to park is adding insult to injury.”

And he claimed the parking restrictions were likely to drive businesses away from the area.

Meanwhile, a petition against the CPZ in Gorgie and Gorgie North has attracted more than 370 signatures.

And Mhairi Bell, who lives in Moat Street, Slateford, which is classed as Gorgie North, said the times when the CPZ would operate – Monday-Friday, 8.30am until 5.30pm – are the exact opposite of what was needed in their area.

“There is no parking issue here during the day, but in the evenings when everyone's at home it's a nightmare – you have to park a street away. And there are the added pressures of Tynecastle and Murrayfield close by, but that's at the weekend. So of the CPZ won't solve any of the parking problems we do have.

“The petition is getting a lot of support from locals, who simply see no need for these measures to be introduced, with many claiming the council are attempting to solve an issue that does not exist and this is no more than a money-making scheme.”

Transport convener Lesley Macinnes said: “This controlled parking review responded to the concerns of residents across the city, many of whom have told us that they want to see controls introduced to help limit the impact of non-residential parking.

“Our officers also carried out in-depth, citywide analysis which identified areas most in need of restrictions due to parking pressures.”

She said the council had since consulted extensively with residents and made some changes to the proposals as a result.

"We’re now progressing the formal process for introducing the measures, which allows people to make specific objections.

“Ultimately, these parking controls are to benefit those living in these communities, providing better access to residents’ parking.”

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