Exclusive:Scottish Parliament staff blasted for turning visitor car park near Arthur's Seat into dumping ground
Calls are now being made to increase parking charges at the car park - but changing the prices is down to government ministers.
Scottish Parliament staff have been blasted for using a car park close to the King’s Edinburgh residence and Arthur’s Seat as a cheap “dumping ground”, blocking out local visitors and tourists.
Calls have been made to increase parking charges and fines at Holyrood Park car park in Edinburgh to stop parliamentary staff from leaving their cars all day while they go into work.
The car park is operated by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and charges only £1 an hour - significantly less than other car parks in Edinburgh city centre.
Richard Lumgair, from Marchmont, who visits the park on an almost daily basis to go running and walk his dog, said it was impossible to get a space after 9.30am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays when Parliament is sitting.
He said: “It has been a bugbear of mine for quite a while. If you go any time after 9.30am on a day Parliament is sitting, it is jam packed with cars and there are signs saying the car park is full.
“It is always so busy because people who work at the Parliament park there because it is cheap and there are no fines for those who overstay.
“They can dump their car there for the whole day and no one challenges them on it.”
The Scotsman visited the car park at 9.40am on a Tuesday, and found spaces almost completely full. A park ranger confirmed to The Scotsman this happens regularly on days Parliament is sitting.
The car park is operated by HES. However, when Mr Lumgair emailed the historic body with his concerns, he was told the parking charges were set by MSPs themselves.
In an email, seen by The Scotsman, Martin Gray, HES’s ranger and visitor services manager, said: “You may not be aware, but Holyrood Park is a royal park owned by the Scottish ministers, managed on their behalf by Historic Environment Scotland and regulated by the Holyrood Park regulations 1971.
“These regulations are very specific about vehicle parking management and the amount per hour that can be charged. To make changes to this legislation to bring it up to more modern requirements needs the Scottish ministers, through the Scottish Parliament, to agree to any changes.”
Mr Lumgair said charges and fines at the car park should be brought in line with what is charged at nearby locations - for example, council-run car parks.
He said: “There is no hope at all for those visiting the park because it has become a dumping ground for Parliament staff, and that is not what the car park is for.
“I would like to see what is charged at nearby car parks charged at this car park too, as this would discourage the dumping of cars. I also want to see appropriate charges and a fine structure for people who park there all day.”
A HES spokesperson said charges were laid out in the 1971 regulations. The spokesperson said “any change to these charges would require a legislative amendment, as would any increase in the levels of fines”.
The Scottish Parliament said this was a matter for HES.
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