New wardens are to be hired, as council staff take on responsibility for parking enforcement in Argyll and Bute next month.
As revealed here, parking in the area has been decriminalised because Police Scotland no longer employ traffic wardens.
A council statement this week said the six new staff would ‘patrol all areas where parking restrictions are in place’ – meaning villages and rural areas could be targeted, as well as town centres.
Ss well as checking yellow lines, pay and display bays, disabled areas and off-street parking, the amenity wardens will also keep an eye on dog fouling and litter.
“Parking is a big issue in our towns – it is maddening to see the same cars parked on the street for hours on end denying easy access for customers to local businesses,” said policy lead for roads and amenity services Ellen Morton.
‘’With these new powers we will be able to keep Argyll and Bute moving.
‘’We hope people will work with us to keep our town centres busy and presentable – if you park legally you won’t be fined.
“If you clear up after you dog, you won’t be fined. If you bin your litter, you won’t be fined.’’
From Monday May 12 first-time offenders will be given a warning notice rather than a penalty charge notice (PCN).
If vehicles park illegally following one of these warning notices, they are likely to receive a penalty charge notice.
Following this two week period (from May 26), all vehicles caught parking illegally will be issued with a PCN.
In line with national guidelines, the PCN is set at £60, to be paid within 28 days. If paid within 14 days, the charge is reduced to £30.
If unpaid, the charge increases to £90. Unpaid PCNs could result in the council instructing sheriff officers to pursue recovery of the debt, which may incur additional costs.
Penalty charges can be paid through the ‘pay it’ function on the council website, over the phone to our customer service centre, in person at any of our customer service points or via paypoint at a local shop.
For further information go to the council website.
Haaa Good it’s about time this is done. It’s quite comical watching able bodied people drive around and around Sinclair Street waiting for a parking space. People think they have so long here to park!!! There is no parking between 09:00 and 18:00 full stop!! Perhaps some people should learn to read and take notice. I have no sympathy for anyone who gets a ticket. Shop owner complain because people do not visit because of the lack of parking. Will I know first-hand of at least 4 shop owners that park outside their shops and leave their cars all day? So preventing others parking. So a note to them stop moaning or move your cars.
With the comment on dog fouling yes I totally agree however A&B council need to provide more bins. There are 2 bins from the town to Kidston Park, and you wonder why people do not pick up after their dog.
Another waste of council tax money! Spend some money providing suitable parking spaces, thought not!
The earlier stories about this mentioned new lines on the road etc – not seen them yet! I don’t think it will cost money though – they’ll have to make enough money (via fines) to pay their wages
My wife is disabled and has more or less had to give up shopping in Helensburgh because, other than the Co-op and Waitrose, she cannot get parked near the shops she wants to use. What is required is more disabled parking bays on the main streets and adequate car parks within easy walking distance of the shops.
Is the problem that people wrongly park in disabled spaces, John, or that all the legitimate spaces near shops are filled? I’m for zero tolerance on this I”m afraid – too many people take the approached aired on Top Gear recently that a few minutes on yellow lines is fine; the cumulative effect is that a lot of people think they’re above the law. Disabled spaces and yellow lines etc are there for a reason and shouldn’t be ignored.
I think Helensburgh has more car parking than most towns. I don’t think carparks are to far away being only 40-50 yards from the main shopping however like what has been said people just ignore yellow lines, and think that they have a few minutes. The signs in Sinclare St state no parking between specified times but people just igno them. I just hope that any emergency services are not required at any time during the day in this area because no way would they be able to get down. Many occasions I have seen the police drive up and down Sinclare St and have to wait in traffic, if they were doing their job correctly then they should be issuing tickets with no excuses. I agree that there should be disabled parking in this area and for disabled persons only.
E.Hepburn
The disabled parking spaces on Princess Street at the traffic lights at the junction of Sinclair Street and at the traffic lights King Street/Sinclair Street junction are dangerous. Now that the pavement has been extended the traffic is now a bottle neck at both sets of lights. How are disabled drivers supposed to get into these spaces safely. Unless the whole bay is empty and they can drive in then they will have to reverse against the traffic behind them. Most people don’t realise you are wanting to park and will sit too close to allow this to happen. I don’t blame them as the wait at these lights can be a long one. I think that there is an accident waiting to happen. I was told by a parking attendant that I should be parking there and walk to the shops I need like Tesco or Boots. Well thats funny! If I could walk that distance and carry my shopping at the same time I could return my wheel chair accessible car and blue badge and take up hill walking. Blue badges are given out for a reason it’s because people can’t walk far. They should get rid of some more of the pavement in the middle of Sinclair Street for disabled parking and free up the ones they have to allow two lanes of traffic at the lights. Disabled parking bays should be positioned in the middle section of a street to prevent long walks and encourage disabled people to feel part of the community. I will use my mobility scooter to shop on dry days but when it’s wet I need the car. A lot of disabled people can’t use a mobility scooter and have to accept that they will no longer be able to shop there unless they use an able bodied space. Good luck with that.
As regards loading bays on Sinclair Street I got a parking ticket outside the Santander Bank. There are two signs on the opposite side of the street outside McKays. They have been angled so as people have a chance to see them although chevrons on the kerb would make it much clearer. Next time you are coming down Princess Street and turning right into Sinclair Street have a look and see if you can see the one sign at the right hand side. If you drive carefully and look to your right and up you will see it. Most of us are more concerned with pedestrians, on coming traffic and the lights to be ducking down and looking up to the right.