Car parking income in Argyll and Bute is almost £50,000 short of its target – despite the number of parking tickets being given out rising by almost 20%.
A report has revealed that income from parking charges suffered a £15,000 decline between January and March, while revenue from parking tickets has fallen by £20,000.
Part of the blame has been attributed to the delay in implementing controversial parking charges at Duck Bay, on Loch Lomondside, which has been met with a huge public backlash.
The difference between the financial target and actual income was nearly £47,000 between January and March – compared to a difference of £34,000 from October to December.
Council performance and improvement officer Sonya Thomas said in her report: “The income for financial quarter four was £950,084 which represents a shortfall of £46,992 against the target income of £997,076.
“This is due in part due to a delay in progressing traffic regulation order for Duck Bay, on- and off-street parking.
“However other impacts through the year may have arisen from poor weather or other events.
“The income for FQ3 was £800,441 which represents a shortfall of £34,367 against the target income of £834,808.
“The shortfall may be, in part, due to a delay in income arising from the new ‘pay by phone’ system, however, it should be noted that a shortfall of £35,000 is being predicted this financial year.
“The breakdown of the shortfall is -£20,000 for DPE [decriminalised parking enforcement] and -£15,000 for parking receipts.
“The DPE shortfall may be down to better driver behaviour generating less PCNs [penalty charge notices] as they begin to follow the council’s parking rules.
“The shortfall in parking receipts is more difficult to explain. It may be due to poor weather, lack of events or other unknowns.”
The Duck Bay parking charges plan has sparked widespread opposition, with a petition set up by the group manager of the adjacent Duck Bay Hotel attracting nearly 2,000 signatures to date.
A statement on the petition page said: “For over 30 years parking in this area has always been free and we are absolutely outraged that the council would try to extort money from both locals and tourists alike simply to park their cars.”
The council previously said in response: “When the Traffic Regulation Order for Duck Bay parking is advertised, this forms a statutory consultation, which will allow members of the public and business community to have their say on these proposals.
“Money raised from parking goes towards essential council services, including car park maintenance.”
Meanwhile, the same report reveals that the number of dog fouling complaints in Argyll and Bute has gone up by almost 50%, from 56 to 78.
Ms Thomas added: “Complaints are still coming in regarding dog fouling, the wardens are addressing them and also targeting problem areas that have been identified.
“The council continues to work closely with Police Scotland and our communications team to provide advice to all parts of our community highlighting the dog fouling campaign.”
Councillors agreed in February to cut five jobs from the authority’s environment warden service as part of the council’s budget cuts, saving £385,000 over the next three financial years.
Have the receipts from Arrochar gone down since the increase from £1 to £9?
Your question about Arrochar is well founded. Maybe we need to explain about the story of the goose and its gokden egg.
Drive away the visitors with exhorbitant charges and not just council income suffers but our businesses go under making the place less attractive.
Duck bay is a case in point. The backlash there is yet to be felt.
In Arrochar the visitors haven’t been driven away, they are parking elsewhere in the village, often in obviously inappropriate places. They then go straight to the hills and make very little contribution to the village economy.
Would those in charge at Argyll and Bite Council not understand that point,and would it not be against the local plan to attract more visitors?