South Ayrshire Council leader Martin Dowey has pushed to get two hours free parking up and running in Ayr town centre saying the move had been a success over the Christmas period.
The cabinet this week agreed a plan to undertake a second consultation on the parking strategy, after the first attracted significant opposition to some of the proposals.
This has led to a number of initial plans being dropped, including the extension of charging to car parks that are currently free as well as along the esplanade.
No date was set for consultation, but is expected to take six weeks to undertake, with the physical work itself taking around 18 months to put in place.
Cllr Dowey said: “We are all keen to get things moving. The two hours free parking was a success for businesses over Christmas period.
“We would like that brought in as quick as we can. There was certainly a buzz around town that we haven’t seen for a while. That may not just be because of the parking, but it certainly helped, so we would like to see that done as soon as we can.”
South Ayrshire Council and Ayrshire Roads Alliance introduced the free scheme in all on-street pay and display parking bays and council car parks (Barns Crescent, Charlotte Street, and Kyle Street) over Christmas.
Councillors heard that officials want to abandon key elements of the original proposals following negative feedback during the original consultation, which received feedback from around 1,200 people.
This includes dropping plans to extend charging into the council’s free car parks and the conversion of limited waiting bays to pay and display in Mill Street, Smith Street and Garden Street.
Instead the proposals will seek to increase the maximum length of waiting in those streets to three hours, when they come before Cabinet next Wednesday.
It also recommends simplifying the charging periods across the town. Officials are set to consider a proposal for two hours of free parking from 9am to 11am.
Further plans to introduce charging along the esplanade have also been abandoned.
However, the potential introduction of pay and display at limited waiting bays around Ayr County Buildings will be taken forward in tandem with a broader permit scheme for residents.
Ayr North Councillor Ian Davis asked whether areas which had already demonstrated a demand for resident permit parking would have to wait until the second consultation.
He said: “There are a few streets not specifically mentioned in the report that have been requesting permit parking for a substantial period of time. If we know there is a level of demand does that need to go out to consultation again or can it be progressed.
Barrie McDonnell, of Ayrshire Roads Alliance, responded that they had been made aware of a permit request from Newton that hadn’t been mentioned in the first consultation.
He added: “It is something we can look at.”
Cllr Davis also raised the proposals for permits that would alleviate issues where the likes of carers or tradespeople are unable to park because of permit restrictions.
He asked whether this would include temporary permit parking that is put in place during events.
Mr McDonnell replied that the plan was to set up a new database which could be configured to deal with one off events as well as year round restrictions.
The report to Cabinet outlined some of the issues that have led to a second consultation.
It said: “The various issues highlighted within each part of the consultation were clearly addressed within the Parking Strategy but perhaps they weren’t adequately conveyed within the consultation pages.
“The questions posed may also have been too general or technical in their wording and the fact that there was no provision for consultees to submit their views within a free text box may have been counter-productive.
“There were further issues with the quality of the mapping made available to review the proposals which we seek to address within the second phase consultation.
“Having reviewed the responses and also feedback received independently of the consultation there is a clear resistance towards parking charges which are viewed as regressive or anti-business.”
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