Residents to deliver letter to Glasgow City Council declaring parking plans 'not fit for purpose'

Residents and businesses of Glasgow’s Southside are set to deliver a formal letter to the council declaring their plans to introduce a parking permit scheme as “not fit for purpose”.

Glasgow City Council are currently consulting the residents of Shawlands to introduce yearly parking permits based on a car’s emissions, as well as increasing pay-and-display fees.

The plan is also set to be rolled out across Battlefield and Strathbungo, with other areas being considered in the coming year.

A local estate agent has warned that the plans could cost them £6,300 a year to allow staff to visit properties in the area, while a local cafe said it would face annual costs of £5,250 to ensure a staff member to collect daily stock deliveries.

According to the office of Aamer Anwar, which has taken up the fight, early indications have suggested that as many as 80 businesses could close as a direct result of the proposals, while others could see turnover fall by 20–30%.

It has been warned that parking spaces could be reduced by 30% and residents will be restricted to a maximum of 40 visits per year.

Residents, businesses and visitors will be meeting on December 15 to deliver a formal letter to the council, alongside a Change.org petition and hand-signed petitions to the council.

Jonathan McDonald said: “A group of residents, business and community council members are now leading the resistance against the Council’s charges, supported by thousands across the community.

“They state they have made every effort to seek answers and engage in meaningful dialogue with Glasgow City Council. To date, those efforts have been met with little engagement or response.

“While the Council appears unwilling or unable to meaningfully engage at this stage, the reality on the ground is very different.

“While the council may be switching off for a festive break daily lives facing drastic change and livelihoods and jobs at risk of decimation mean the Southside community does not have the luxury of switching off or ignoring the storm cloud that has formed over the area.

“They will deliver the letter on Monday, and the next steps? It will depend on the council’s response, but they have already planned public meetings with political leaders and legal action, so it is unlikely this is going to go away anytime soon.”

A spokesman for the council previously said: “As a local authority, we do not have an obligation to provide parking spaces for vehicles, but we are responsible for managing parking once it becomes an issue.

“The messages we receive from elected members, community council and residents is that parking in Shawlands, Battlefield and Strathbungo can be a problem.

“Our own observations of parking in these areas confirms there is an issue that requires to be addressed.

“The introduction of parking zones in other parts of the city have proven to be successful.

“Better management of parking reduces the risk of obstructions and makes access to streets easier for emergency services vehicles and refuse lorries.

“Parking controls also help to make streets safer for other types of road users and can help to improve local environments.

“These are initial plans, and so we do urge people to contribute to our survey as local knowledge will make a valuable contribution to the development of the final proposals.”

Feedback received by the council will be reviewed, and the proposals will be given further consideration before being released for a second round of public consultation next year.