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I am hugely disappointed at the decision of Dundee City Council's SNP Administration not to progress with plans for a resident's car parking scheme in parts of the Coldside, Maryfield and West End wards. I am appalled that the report presented to councillors did not discharge the remit it was given in a report agreed four years ago. I put forward an amendment which called on the council to actually carry out the consultation agreed in 2018, requested that the council's Chief Executive report on the issues that caused so much difficulty in implementing an unanimously agreed policy and finally I called on the council to bring forward a report on setting up a season ticket style offer for the car parks in the West End where charges have been imposed along with East Whale Lane. My motion and Bailie Fraser Macpherson's motion were amalgamated and put forward as a joint proposal.
I am hugely disappointed by the decision not to progress the residents' car parking scheme. People in the areas around the city centre face problems with commuters parking in residential streets.
Four years ago the council unanimously agreed to consult on a residents' car parking scheme. The report to the committee on Monday did not reflect the will of the committee. The consultations which were reported were totally unacceptable.
I am clear that the council was meant to bring forward a report which would examine a range of financial options. Instead, the council has plucked a figure of £80 from somewhere. This figure does not compare with the existing residents' car parking scheme in Dundee.
This has not been the council's finest hour. Much has been made of the impact of the pandemic preventing effective consultation from taking place. This, of course, entirely fails to explain why no real progress was made between March 2018 and March 2020. There was a go slow on this policy area. I will be asking the council's Chief Executive to explain this. Councillors need to know that the policy of the council will be implemented. This has not been the case in this area.
In the council's press release on this report the council said that 'community groups were not supportive of the introduction of an on-street residents' parking scheme if it was to go ahead in isolation and without a wider package of complimentary measures.' The irony and hypocrisy of this statement will not be lost on those paying for car parking in the West End car parks in a policy development introduced in isolation and without a wider package of complimentary measures. That is why I proposed that the council bring forward a report looking at having season tickets for the car parks in the West End and at East Whale Lane. I was disappointed that Councillor Lynne Short who had previously raised the issue of residents' car parking permits at East Whale Lane voted against this proposal.
Fundamentally, this has been a huge missed opportunity by Dundee City Council. A missed opportunity which has let down people in the West End, Coldside and Maryfield wards. A problem was identified in 2018 and the Administration's answer is to do nothing other than exacerbate the problem by introducing car parking charges in the West End car parks.
I will be looking to help local people in the West End, Maryfield and Coldside wards and looking for solutions which alleviate congestion in these areas. The solutions to this must include efforts to reduce our reliance on cars and also should include restrictions on commuter parking in residential areas.