Part 2 - The wisdom of Highland Council's " Highland Parking with Purpose" document that is the blueprint for parking charges

Continuing our look at the Highland Council document that justifies and outlines the modus operandi of bring parking charges to our and other communities. See the first article here. Now we're in the recommendations on page 11. Here's one that pops up out of the page at us;

“Ensure integration of car park provision and charging regimes to encourage growth and investment in our tourist based economy”

Wow! Why didn't anyone think of that before, parking charges a wonderful way to give a boost to our local tourist based economy? Does anyone believe that? Do any of our councillors believe that?

Let's have another one: “Roll out the benefits of the new policy across the Highlands utilising

local committees and community partnerships”.

Surely this means, roll out the centralised policy of Glenurquhart Road and impose parking charges on Nairn? Whatever happened to localism?

Go on, one more, it's early yet: Work with national government and partner agencies such as Hi Trans and HIE to meet the challenges and maximise the opportunities of changes in behaviour.”

Force it through with the help of others? Maximise the opportunities of less people coming into the town centre? Changes in behaviours, more trips to retail outlets at Balmakeith then? Maximise the rateable values from there?

Just one more in this post, some more later perhaps after this observer has had a bit of a lie-down.

“The expansion in the number of car parks subject to charging will also need a review of payment collection procedures. The use of cashless payment systems and contactless payments should be considered at all locations as this will greatly enhance both usage monitoring and enhance cash collection procedures.”

So how much would that all cost then, along with other installation costs and enforcement? Can't see any figures in this document so far, perhaps that comes later?

Have a look yourselves folks here.

Missing Cat Sutors Avenue area of Boathpark Nairn Sunday 6th May

Our lovely cat Gypsy has gone missing from the Sutors Avenue area of Boathpark Nairn. She is a female tabby black, brown and grey with cream underbelly. 

She has distinctive hairy ears. She went missing yesterday morning; she generally does not wander away and is always turning up and disappearing several times a day. She knows her own territory well and tends to stick well within it over the last six years and does not cross the main road. She is wearing a mainly brown collar with green and pink spots; she is micro-chipped, neutered and her collar has a bell and ID barrel. This is very unusual behaviour for her. Perhaps she has been inadvertently locked in a shed somewhere?

If she is seen contact 07895035015 or 01667456431.

Still a chance to see - the top of the stairs exhibition in the Links School today (7th May) until 4 pm

The wisdom of Highland Council's " Highland Parking with Purpose" document that is the blueprint for parking charges

We've been having a look at the Highland Council parking strategy that is contained in a document that Highland Councillors had a look at this week. Here's what we think so far and more to come if time permits.

The  " Highland Parking with purpose" document states on Page 9:

"The introduction of parking charges is viewed as deeply unpopular. This includes the perception that there will be a detrimental effect on local businesses leading to a relocation of economic activity from town centres to out-of-town retail outlets.

However there are wider local and community benefits from good parking management such as:

• Enabling local traffic management

• Supporting local economic activity

• Enhanced visitor / tourist access provision

• Improved access to local services"

Well how about the effect of displacement of parking problems into other areas of the town? The cost or inspection and inforcement? If you were coming to Nairn for the day, why not simply avoid the parking charges by parking in Viewfield, Manse Road say or Albert Street or anywhere else that you can find that doesn't cost. It is simply human nature to avoid parking charges and parts of the town that have been problem free up to now will suffer as a result of Highland Council policy. 

And just how do you support economic activity by discouraging tourists and other visitors? To this observer the perception that damage will be done is correct. 

And further down page nine we have some "findings" including:

"Our roads and streets are increasingly clogged by traffic and parked vehicles. The effects are  everywhere throughout our region but nowhere more obvious than in centres of population or where tourism is prevalent."

Right then so free parking causes congestion? The only thing causing congestion in Nairn is the level of traffic on the A96. Sometimes it can take you a minute or two to find a parking space in the town centre, it can be busy but not congested.  Take Inverness where there are plenty of parking charges, you still have congestion and far worse than Nairn too. Sorry Highland Council but we are being offered a solution to a problem that doesn't exist in Nairn town centre. 

And a bit more:

"Some stakeholders envisage a future with less traffic that would allow more space for people to enjoy the amenities and services. Local residents and visitors alike are seeking a safer, cleaner, healthier, more pleasant environment with improved air quality and reduced noise. "

It's a town centre we have for goodness sake, yes get more people on buses and bicycles if you can and Nairn already has plenty of folk using those alternatives to get into the town centre but if we are going to have " a safer, cleaner, healthier, more pleasant environment with improved air quality and reduced noise" then that will come when the bypass is delivered. Until that day we will still have thousands of journeys made through Nairn on the A96.  

Let's just have a bit more tonight before this observer pours a dram, 

"Parking is an unintended by-product of journeys. Few people travel for the pleasure of parking. To quantify the optimum number of parking spaces in each locality, we need to know more about the journeys people make. At present there is insufficient accessible data about the sources, destinations and numbers of Highland journeys. An initiative is envisaged which will encourage research to obtain more factual information about travel undertaken by residents and visitors, probably in conjunction with UHI and HIE." 

OK then Glenurquhart Road you are going to introduce parking charges here and you admit that you have insufficient data about the sources, destinations and numbers of Highland journeys. You envisage research, mmmmmm, why go about chucking parking charges into the mix everywhere you see fit then? It seems to be that you have no idea with what you could be interfering with?  How about doing the research, then you have something to build a credible parking policy on?  

That's all for tonight folks, we'll be back tomorrow with more analysis of the document if time permits. There's 62 pages and if you fancy some yourselves you can read a copy here. 

One last tip for Highland Council, people in Nairn do park for pleasure, nothing quite like a fish supper down at the Harbour, sitting out looking over the Moray Firth. It's what a lot of folk in Nairn do, Free Parking is in the town's DNA. 

Music Nairn Maximiliano Martin and Friends (piano and wind quintet) Saturday 12th May 7.30pm - Nairn Community and Arts Centre

Saturday 12th May promises a very special concert for Music Nairn, with clarinettist Maximiliano Martin heading up a top class wind and piano quintet.

Each player in this group of Maximiliano and his Friends has an established career in his own right. Maximiliano, international clarinet soloist, principal in the SCO, chamber musician and teacher, performs regularly in the UK and abroad. Robin Williams is principal oboe with the SCO and chamber musician, while Peter Whelan, bassoon principal with the SCO, is in constant demand as a soloist, director and chamber musician. Patrick Broderick, has a busy freelance career appearing frequently with the SCO, while Julian Milford, a founder member of the Conchord Ensemble, has been duo partner to some of the UK’s leading singers and instrumentalists.

The group will play two of the most admired pieces of the wind repertoire. Mozart considered his Piano and Wind quintet K452 written in 1784 to be the best of his compositions to that date, and it so impressed the young Beethoven that he modelled his own Piano and Wind quintet Op. 16 of 1796 on Mozart’s piece.

The programme also includes the 1921 Clarinet Sonata by Saint Saens, and Schumann’s beautifully written Adagio and Allegro for horn and piano.

The concert begins at 7.30 with tickets in advance or on the door from Nairn Community Centre.

Cracking crowd analysis of Highland Council's modus operandi of implementing parking charges in Nairn - the citizens are reading and commenting on the "Parking with a purpose" document

It's all over on the "Nairn our Town, our views" Facebook page here. 

Parking Charges articles in the Press and Journal

Here's an article from 29th of March "Dingwall residents vent anger at car parking charges." 

And more recently from yesterday May 2nd: "Car parking charges across the Highlands could protect under-threat jobs, councillors claim." The paper states: 

"Imposing car park charges widely across Highland region could save and protect posts under threat, it was claimed yesterday at a council meeting to discuss the controversial move."

Free Parking in Nairn - soon coming to an end?

"Councillors and officials continued on-going discussions of a 62-recommendation report created as part of the council’s Redesign plan to look at savings, efficiencies and income generation.

Depute leader Alasdair Christie said: “If a car park generates £40,000 this money could be used to cover the costs of a care officer. You have to look at things holistically.”     More here. 

Another live Internet Broadcast for Games Day 2018 - Thanks to "Nairn when you were a bairn members"

Admin of the NWYWAB social media site Stephen Smerdon told the Gurn:

"Following last year's success of the Nairn games being broadcast live in the Facebook group 'Nairn when you were a bairn' with viewers topping 2000. This year there will be a 'just giving ' page set up by the games committee to receive donations from all those viewing the live broadcast where ever they might be in the world. One member of the group will be watching the broadcast whilst on there holiday cruise ! 

But the main news about this year's live broadcast is that Nwywab has been lent a digital projector and large screen which will be set up in Whinnieknowe care home where the residents who perhaps have been unable to attend the games for many years will be able to sit in the comfort of there dayroom where they can also watch the live broadcast too on the big screen."

Advertising feature - Murd's Spring planting venture

Wee wooden flower tubs. Murd tells the Gurn that he is asking £17 with flowers in them or £10 empty. He tells us the bottoms are raised so don't require too match filling.  E-mail infogurnnurn.com if you are interested and we will forward your info to Murd. 

Green Hive Picnic in the Park - Viewfield Sunday May 13th 12.00 - 15.00

Plant swap and picnic all planned for Sat 13th more in the video and the link below


  More details about the Picnic in the Park here.