North Berwick: Historic Scottish town gets 27 parking meters for first time in 'disappointing' move
A total of 27 parking meters, enforcing paid parking, will be installed on the back of the council’s vote
Parking meters will be installed across an East Lothian town’s conservation area despite claims it is being done without the support of the community.
East Lothian councillors this week approved 27 parking meters in North Berwick’s town centre. However, their decision was described by local ward councillor Jeremy Findlay as “disappointing”. Objectors said the move was “nonsense” and “bizarre”.
Councillors were presented with the proposals in 12 separate planning applications, which were recommended for approval by officers at Tuesday’s planning committee.
The meeting started nearly two hours late after IT issues meant it could no longer be held in the council chambers in Haddington and webcast live to the public. Instead a Teams meeting was arranged for people to take part.
Cllr Findlay, who described the decision as “disappointing”, found himself the lone voice for local ward members after the first application for meters on the High Street had passed, with fellow North Berwick coastal member Councillor Liz Allan having to leave for another meeting.
Planning officers told elected members the meters, which will be solar powered and are 1.5m high, were “small” and would not have a visual impact on the conservation area of the town.
However, the objectors criticised the proposals, pointing out the council was looking at introducing a permanent solution to a seasonal problem with parking in the town only becoming an issue during the summer.
A member of the North Berwick Community Council told the meeting: “The officers assessment is that there will be no cumulative impact from these meters being put in the conservation areas. This is nonsense.”
Kirsty Towler, from the town’s Environment and Heritage Trust, said North Berwick was the jewel in the crown of East Lothian. “It is a very special place to live and has been named the best place to live in Britain,” she said. “The town is vibrant.”
She told the meeting the impact of the street furniture on listed buildings and the character of the town centre was wrongly being dismissed by planners, saying they were adopting a permanent approach to a seasonal problem.
Cllr Findlay also objected to the meters, raising concerns they went against the council’s own conservation policies, which say any development should protect and enhance the areas.
He said: “I think we can all agree parking meters do not enhance the conservation area. Whether they protect it, officers believe they do, I believe they do not.”
North Berwick is the first town in East Lothian where parking charges have been approved to be introduced. Discussions over introducing charges in Dunbar, Musselburgh, Tranent and Haddington are continuing.
Objectors raised concern about the impact of the parking meters on people walking on the narrow pavements of the streets as well as the conservation area.
Cllr Norman Hampshire, the planning convenor, told the meeting the parking meters were needed to improve the turnover of spaces and safety on the streets of the town centre.
The first application for meters in the High Street was approved by eight councillors to three. A further six applications were approved by nine votes to one, after Cllr Allan left, and a further one for Westgate was approved by eight votes to two.
Three further applications were passed by eight votes to one and the last by seven votes to one, with numbers changing because two further councillors left the meeting.
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