Thursday, February 08, 2018

Wasn't just a rumour then - car parking charges on the way for Nairn - MFR report

MFR reporting that it really is in the budget proposals and the Highland Council mannie in this interview is well, well up for it. The death-knell sounded for Nairn High Street today in Glenurquhart Road?
Update MFR also stating on twitter: "Year 1 of five year plan includes Nairn Library, Harbour, Cumming Street, The Maggot"

Cumming Street Car Park "The Links" is Common Good Land isn't it? Can they do that?

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have every confidence that our 3 Tory/Independent Councillors will form a human chain around the carpark. They can take our freedom ........ but they'll never take our free parking!

No happy said...

Jeez thanks Highland Council. I'm a resident of the fishertown where parking is already sometimes difficult and I can just see if parking charges are put in place at the Links and on the other side at the Harbour that parking here is going to become a nightmare

Anonymous said...

Everyone just needs to ignore Highland Council.

Anonymous said...

I'm a High Street resident with no off road parking so have to use the car parks, I won't be able to afford to leave the car overnight in the car park so would welcome Highland Council's suggestions of what I'm supposed to do? Wonder if there will be special rates for residents?

Anonymous said...

How's this going to work? Thought the car park behind the library and Co-op car park are not owned by the Council? As far as I'm aware they only own the car park in front of the toilets.

Anonymous said...

Laurie Fraser and Tom Heggie are in the Highland Council administration that are proposing these parking charges to be voted on next week. They should resign from that administration immediately and vote against these charges. They have to stop thisl.

Anonymous said...

Aberdeenshire introduced carparking charges a few years back, and then communities watched as their former customers and visitors boycotted local businesses and headed into Aberdeen to shop.

On yer bike said...

Wee chuckle to maself, nothing stirs up folk like something threatening their pockets!

Divi said...

I bet Sainsbury's will be giving away a few goodies tomorrow to celebrate this news. If you have a car are you really going to pay for parking and get your messages in the co-opie or head half a mile out of town?

Graisg said...

Co-op own a few Divi not sure how far that extends but toilet area, library and old Community Centre site all Highland Council controlled or leased as far as I know

Anonymous said...

I often try and shop in Nairn High Street rather than go through to Inverness as I figure in the long run it saves time and money (petrol) but if I'm going to have to drive around to find a parking space and then pay for a ticket I'm going to think twice. This will be a shop killer on our High Street

transparent said...

Will parking charges mean less people will be turning out of Lochloy Road onto the A96? Just a thought!

Anonymous said...

The only way it works for residents near the beach is to have street parking badges but then how much would that cost to administer? I was hoping centre of town parking could have first half hour or hour free to keep the high street alive.

Anonymous said...

What did Scottish government say last week, "we need to increase taxes so we can help the councils to stop cuts " that's not going to happen by the looks of things ....even a council tax rise!....so can we get our extra tax back please?
Oops we still have to pay it yet, whose pocket will it be going into?

Anonymous said...

Hold your horses folks, this is just a proposal. Our mighty fine Councillors will git on their horses, Nairn's very own four horsemen (ok, 3 blokes and Liz) and ride to our rescue - won't they?

Anonymous said...

Maybe when said parking meters go in a tragic accident could befell them the following night.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Hold your horses folks, this is just a proposal. Our mighty fine Councillors will git on their horses, Nairn's very own four horsemen (ok, 3 blokes and Liz) and ride to our rescue - won't they?

10:45 PM

Don't hold your breath.

Anonymous said...

I agree the high street will really suffer, and all the people who drive down to go for a walk along the beach , then maybe have coffee or ice cream after at basils/jamies/sundancer/etc will be less likely. The beach & High St are some of Nairn's assetts, but will the money be coming directly back to Nairn .... I doubt it. And don't get me started on Highland Council using the harbour as a money making scheme (berth fees increasing year on year), but not putting anything back in until they leave it so long , it falls apart underneath them. Short sighted ? Closer to blind!

Anonymous said...

How about CUTTING the Chief Executives pay AND cutting COUNCILLORS WAGES from £16,000 to £10,000. Lets face it people in the private sector have had to cut wages to see the company survive. Take Port Talbot steel works last year for instance

Cabbage looking developer said...

It might well be a budget proposal but I think you'll find that at least one Nairn councillor (maybe more?) sat on the committee that came up with these ideas, so don't hold your breath when it comes to support against these cuts from the people we voted into power

Marie Matthews said...

A large number of my customers make the comment that they come to Nairn because they can park free and shop, walk the beach , stop for tea/coffee/ice cream without worrying about parking fees! I don't go into Inverness because you have to pay to park. If you look at the " free parking * retail parks and the city centre on a Sunday you can see where a large percentage of people go. Can you imagine if Sainsbury's charged for parking! We, on the High Street cannot compete with the bulk-buying and advertising powers, of the multi-nationals. With another pressure, including the extra tax of the possible BID being mooted, how many businesses will we lose? I agree that people who are law-abiding would pay the parking, but I also know that there are many who will park on side streets, grass and in small residential car parks to avoid paying or park and just not pay! We can't afford wardens now. Are they going to employ more? I don't believe so! Please attend the meeting on Tuesday. It is important to show that we care!!

Anonymous said...

Any money the parking charges bring in will be spent on wages of someone to monitor the car parks. Ridiculous idea from inept councillors.

D.Ross said...

Aviemore has one council car park which you pay to use, & I see that used regularly. There are car parks along the shores of Loch Morlich which are pay & display also.

The Council has to find money from somewhere, & we have been very fortunate to not have parking charges inflicted upon us for a number of years. Many other towns & villages you have to pay & display.

I don't like it, but it is inevitable, just like the BID, I'll have to pay £320 a year to an organisation which can't replace what the council does & yet it is the shortcomings in the council services which let Nairn down.

Anonymous said...

@D. Ross

Why is it inevitable? This is a discretionary service that is offered by Highland Council. They are not obliged to provide Car Parks, nor are they obliged to charge for their use. Let's have ownership of these car parks transferred to the Nairn local councils and then we can have a discussion about how we keep the facility free or whether we raise money to be spent locally, and not just to make up a shortfall and cover inefficiencies in HC.

D.Ross said...

@ Anon 1:11pm

If as you say "They (Highland Council) are not obliged to provide car parks", would you prefer them to remove the car parks & build affordable housing on the land?