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STV News
23-05-2025
- Business
- STV News
City council explores cutting free parking on holidays
Free parking on holidays in the capital could be ended in a bid to increase funding for 'lifeline' Edinburgh bus services. Currently, parking is free on Boxing Day, Easter Monday, Christmas Day and New Years' Day. But on Thursday, councillors voted to explore cutting all four free parking days to help fund vital but commercially unprofitable bus routes in the city. Labour councillor and Transport and Environment Committee convener Stephen Jenkinson said: 'The idea is to try and widen the scope, just to see what the art of the possible is with regards to how much finance could potentially be raised.' The original plan, as presented by Liberal Democrat councillor Neil Ross, was to cut free parking on Boxing Day and Easter Monday, but leave the other two parking holidays intact. However, he accepted an amendment to his motion by Cllr Jenkinson that will see officers explore cutting all four parking holidays. Cllr Ross said: 'In context of making standard charges across the board, 365 days a year, I did explore that with parking officers. 'We looked at Christmas Day and New Years' Day, and the response I had was that that wouldn't produce any revenue. 'It would cost the council, simply because of the overtime rates that would require to be paid to the parking wardens. But we can explore that as well.' Council officers will also explore how much revenue could be brought in for subsidising bus services from several other parking changes. These include abolishing 'pay and display' parking bays near the city centre, as well as getting rid of free motorcycle parking bays in the city. Cllr Ross previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he hoped any funds raised from the possible parking changes could support the addition of new bus services in the city, which run on unprofitable yet socially useful routes. One example is the 42 bus – axed two years ago, it provided a link between Craigleith and Portobello. The city currently subsidises several bus routes, both through Lothian Buses and through other operators, but it is hoped that any services funded by increased parking income would be new. SNP councillor Neil Gardiner expressed hope that funding from any possible change to the parking rules could help fund improved bus service to Ratho. He said: 'What we need to do in this area is bring innovative thinking. 'I think there's an appetite with the Lost Shore wave garden in our ward as well to potentially contribute to a better bus service for Ratho, which is currently, shamefully, the most isolated community in Edinburgh. 'Ratho wants action. I hope that I can get support across the chamber for that today to get one more step in what we're all looking for, to get Ratho its bus service.' An amendment filed by Cllr Gardiner asking officers to explore opportunities for businesses to support the running of subsidised bus routes was approved by councillors. Officers will report back on the feasibility of making the parking changes to subsidise bus services at the September meeting of the Transport and Environment Committee. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Edinburgh Reporter
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Edinburgh Reporter
City mobility plan passed despite concerns
A new scheme to prioritise Edinburgh infrastructure projects has been approved by councillors, despite some of them holding concerns over several issues. The new City Mobility Plan aims to determine which projects the city will prioritise working on in the next decade. Officers recommended that councillors accept a priority list which saw 73 projects approved to go ahead, and 61 others paused – with most either not having been started yet or having already been paused before the plan's release. Labour councillor Stephen Jenkinson, who convenes the Transport and Environment Committee, heralded the plan, saying the time to take action was now, and that it is a 'a necessary piece of work.' But some councillors raised concerns over the priority list, questioning the system used to select projects to carry out or pause and the geographic distribution of projects. Infrastructure projects were scored on a matrix which judged elements of each, such as cost effectiveness and benefit for public transport – but some projects with higher scores were paused, while others with lower scores were approved. Liberal Democrat councillor Kevin Lang said: 'Coming into this committee meeting, I feel like I had two fundamental issues with this report. Now I feel like I'll leave with three. 'The first is around what has been quite a complex scoring matrix. I don't think it's an unreasonable question to ask, [why do] you get a project scoring 20 paused when a project with 10 is proceeding? 'My second worry is around deliverability. I completely admire and respect the optimism that exists. Let's be frank, this is a council that can take three years to change a speed limit and six years to put in a speedbump.' Lang's third concern was about developers' compliance with section 75 orders, which involve developer contributions to infrastructure projects. Earlier in the meeting, a council officer said that most projects were continued or paused based on their score, but that some broke from this pattern due to extenuating circumstances, such as projects being eligible for certain bespoke funding. The Liberal Democrat group had lodged an amendment calling on the report to be paused, giving councillors and officers more time to look at it. Meanwhile, the Conservative group put forward their own list of projects to be continued and paused, using different scoring criteria. Conservative councillor Neil Cuthbert, representing Colinton/Fairmilehead, asked officers: 'It does feel like a report for lovers of spreadsheets. Just looking at the different projects, I don't think it's any surprise that the ward with the most projects is the city centre. 'The wards with the second and third most projects are Forth and Almond. I don't want to go through the list, but Colinton/Fairmile is at the bottom of the list. There's two [projects]. 'I wondered if there's any comments about why there does appear to be quite a disparity in a lot of different areas?' Council officer Sheila Paton said: 'This is a long legacy and history of projects that have come forward over the years. We haven't deliberately tried to exclude any geographical areas, as I'm sure you can imagine. 'In terms of the focus on the city centre, we have a sense of how much of the proposed ten year programme would potentially be dedicated to the city centre. 'And we feel like it's in proportion with how complicated the city centre is, how important it is.' Interim Executive Director of Place Gareth Barwell added: 'This list here hasn't added new schemes. This is officers broadly trawling through the commitments of this committee. 'A lot of these are actions we've inherited due to growth and development.' The SNP group put forward an amendment adding three projects to the 'proceed' list, while the Green group wanted to see council officers begin looking at a congestion charge in the capital as a possible infrastructure funding source. At a vote, seven councillors supported a joint Labour, SNP and Green position, while two supported the Conservative position and two supported the Liberal Democrat position. Cllr Jenkinson said: 'I'm really pleased that we've agreed this bold programme for our city. Prioritisation allows us to work smarter with the resources we have available – making sure we have a clear and achievable path to achieving our objectives. 'This programme follows the successes of major infrastructure projects such as Trams to Newhaven and active travel projects including the City Centre West to East Link (CCWEL), Roseburn to Union Canal and Leith Connections. 'This is an extensive piece of work which allows the City Mobility Plan to be agile, and able to adapt in the future as necessary.' Three projects were added to the list after amendments by political groups, and a fourth was added pending further work on how to fund it. Among these was the Causey project, which seeks to turn the traffic island at the junction of West Crosscauseway and Buccleuch Street into a public events space. The project, which campaigners have spent over a decade seeking funding for, was added to the priority list as a result of an SNP amendment. The group also got the Portobello Town Centre project, which seeks to widen footways and reduce road traffic in the area, and a new cycle link over the bypass near Heriot Watt, over the line. An amendment by the city's Labour administration, meanwhile, got approval for the funding of more toilets for bus drivers at the ends of routes, pending finding a funding source. Cllr Jenkinson said: 'The project which I've identified as part of my amendment is a very particular project. It is currently marked for pause, but just for this financial year. 'The topic itself of provision of bus driver toilets at key locations, which are predominantly the terminuses for buses, is a very important one. 'Personally, and I hope the committee will agree, that it's a project that, once the uncertainty around funding is clarified, is unpaused.' Graeme Smith, an industrial officer for Unite, which covers Lothian Buses, said: 'Access to a toilet at work is a basic right so it is important that the Council gets this right for our members in passenger transport. 'This is a matter of health and safety. It is also an equalities issue, more acutely impacting workers who are older, pregnant or have a health condition.' By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Reporter
23-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Edinburgh Council explores cutting free parking
Free parking on holidays in the capital could be ended in a bid to increase funding for 'lifeline' Edinburgh bus services. Currently, parking is free on Boxing Day, Easter Monday, Christmas Day and New Years' Day. But on Thursday, councillors voted to explore cutting all four free parking days to help fund vital but commercially unprofitable bus routes in the city. Labour councillor and Transport and Environment Committee convener Stephen Jenkinson said: 'The idea is to try and widen the scope, just to see what the art of the possible is with regards to how much finance could potentially be raised.' The original plan, as presented by Liberal Democrat councillor Neil Ross, was to cut free parking on Boxing Day and Easter Monday, but leave the other two parking holidays intact. However, he accepted an amendment to his motion by Cllr Jenkinson that will see officers explore cutting all four parking holidays. Cllr Ross said: 'In context of making standard charges across the board, 365 days a year, I did explore that with parking officers. 'We looked at Christmas Day and New Years' Day, and the response I had was that that wouldn't produce any revenue. 'It would cost the council, simply because of the overtime rates that would require to be paid to the parking wardens. But we can explore that as well.' Council officers will also explore how much revenue could be brought in for subsidising bus services from several other parking changes. These include abolishing 'pay and display' parking bays near the city centre, as well as getting rid of free motorcycle parking bays in the city. Cllr Ross previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he hoped any funds raised from the possible parking changes could support the addition of new bus services in the city, which run on unprofitable yet socially useful routes. One example is the 42 bus – axed two years ago, it provided a link between Craigleith and Portobello. The city currently subsidises several bus routes, both through Lothian Buses and through other operators, but it is hoped that any services funded by increased parking income would be new. SNP councillor Neil Gardiner expressed hope that funding from any possible change to the parking rules could help fund improved bus service to Ratho. He said: 'What we need to do in this area is bring innovative thinking. 'I think there's an appetite with the Lost Shore wave garden in our ward as well to potentially contribute to a better bus service for Ratho, which is currently, shamefully, the most isolated community in Edinburgh. 'Ratho wants action. I hope that I can get support across the chamber for that today to get one more step in what we're all looking for, to get Ratho its bus service.' An amendment filed by Cllr Gardiner asking officers to explore opportunities for businesses to support the running of subsidised bus routes was approved by councillors. Officers will report back on the feasibility of making the parking changes to subsidise bus services at the September meeting of the Transport and Environment Committee. By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
City of Edinburgh Council explores cutting free parking
Free parking on holidays in the capital could be ended in a bid to increase funding for 'lifeline' Edinburgh bus services. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Currently, parking is free on Boxing Day, Easter Monday, Christmas Day and New Years' Day. But on Thursday, councillors voted to explore cutting all four free parking days to help fund vital but commercially unprofitable bus routes in the city. Labour councillor and Transport and Environment Committee convener Stephen Jenkinson said: 'The idea is to try and widen the scope, just to see what the art of the possible is with regards to how much finance could potentially be raised.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The original plan, as presented by Liberal Democrat councillor Neil Ross, was to cut free parking on Boxing Day and Easter Monday, but leave the other two parking holidays intact. However, he accepted an amendment to his motion by Cllr Jenkinson that will see officers explore cutting all four parking holidays. Edinburgh council officers will explore how much income axing free parking on holidays could bring in. | Lisa Ferguson Cllr Ross said: 'In context of making standard charges across the board, 365 days a year, I did explore that with parking officers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We looked at Christmas Day and New Years' Day, and the response I had was that that wouldn't produce any revenue. It would cost the council, simply because of the overtime rates that would require to be paid to the parking wardens. But we can explore that as well.' Council officers will also explore how much revenue could be brought in for subsidising bus services from several other parking changes. These include abolishing 'pay and display' parking bays near the city centre, as well as getting rid of free motorcycle parking bays in the city. Cllr Ross previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he hoped any funds raised from the possible parking changes could support the addition of new bus services in the city, which run on unprofitable yet socially useful routes. One example is the 42 bus – axed two years ago, it provided a link between Craigleith and Portobello. The city currently subsidises several bus routes, both through Lothian Buses and through other operators, but it is hoped that any services funded by increased parking income would be new. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad SNP councillor Neil Gardiner expressed hope that funding from any possible change to the parking rules could help fund improved bus service to Ratho. He said: 'What we need to do in this area is bring innovative thinking. I think there's an appetite with the Lost Shore wave garden in our ward as well to potentially contribute to a better bus service for Ratho, which is currently, shamefully, the most isolated community in Edinburgh. 'Ratho wants action. I hope that I can get support across the chamber for that today to get one more step in what we're all looking for, to get Ratho its bus service.' An amendment filed by Cllr Gardiner asking officers to explore opportunities for businesses to support the running of subsidised bus routes was approved by councillors. Officers will report back on the feasibility of making the parking changes to subsidise bus services at the September meeting of the Transport and Environment Committee.
Edinburgh Live
23-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Live
Free Edinburgh parking on major holidays could be axed to fund 'lifeline' bus services
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Free parking on holidays in the capital could be ended in a bid to increase funding for 'lifeline' Edinburgh bus services. Currently, parking is free on Boxing Day, Easter Monday, Christmas Day and New Years' Day. But on Thursday, councillors voted to explore cutting all four free parking days to help fund vital but commercially unprofitable bus routes in the city. Labour councillor and Transport and Environment Committee convener Stephen Jenkinson said: 'The idea is to try and widen the scope, just to see what the art of the possible is with regards to how much finance could potentially be raised.' The original plan, as presented by Liberal Democrat councillor Neil Ross, was to cut free parking on Boxing Day and Easter Monday, but leave the other two parking holidays intact. However, he accepted an amendment to his motion by Cllr Jenkinson that will see officers explore cutting all four parking holidays. Cllr Ross said: 'In context of making standard charges across the board, 365 days a year, I did explore that with parking officers. 'We looked at Christmas Day and New Years' Day, and the response I had was that that wouldn't produce any revenue. 'It would cost the council, simply because of the overtime rates that would require to be paid to the parking wardens. But we can explore that as well.' Council officers will also explore how much revenue could be brought in for subsidising bus services from several other parking changes. These include abolishing 'pay and display' parking bays near the city centre, as well as getting rid of free motorcycle parking bays in the city. Cllr Ross previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he hoped any funds raised from the possible parking changes could support the addition of new bus services in the city, which run on unprofitable yet socially useful routes. One example is the 42 bus – axed two years ago, it provided a link between Craigleith and Portobello. The city currently subsidises several bus routes, both through Lothian Buses and through other operators, but it is hoped that any services funded by increased parking income would be new. SNP councillor Neil Gardiner expressed hope that funding from any possible change to the parking rules could help fund improved bus service to Ratho. He said: 'What we need to do in this area is bring innovative thinking. 'I think there's an appetite with the Lost Shore wave garden in our ward as well to potentially contribute to a better bus service for Ratho, which is currently, shamefully, the most isolated community in Edinburgh. 'Ratho wants action. I hope that I can get support across the chamber for that today to get one more step in what we're all looking for, to get Ratho its bus service.' An amendment filed by Cllr Gardiner asking officers to explore opportunities for businesses to support the running of subsidised bus routes was approved by councillors. Officers will report back on the feasibility of making the parking changes to subsidise bus services at the September meeting of the Transport and Environment Committee.
