Sunday car parking charges in Fife look set to remain for the foreseeable future after the council raked in around £200,000 in their first year.
The controversial move was formally introduced on January 8 2017, with drivers parking in 26 different metered on-street and off-street areas across the region asked to fork out for the privilege after 1pm.
The measure is still under review as part of a wider look at car parking in general throughout Fife, and some motorists had been hoping for a U-turn on the policy.
However, The Courier understands the local authority now considers the parking charges well established with demand in car parks as expected and drivers generally used to the change.
Around £170,000 in income has been generated from pay and display meters on Sundays since the new charges came into force, while around £30,000 was raised through parking fines in the first 12 months.
A total of 1,024 parking charge notices were issued to drivers who failed to display a valid pay and display ticket in that period.
Councillor Altany Craik, convener of Fife’s economy, tourism, strategic planning and transportation committee, said: “Demand for parking within our town centres on Sundays is generally like any other day of the week and we need to manage this.
“The council incurs significant costs in the management and maintenance of car parking and the additional revenue income generated from Sunday parking charges helps to offset such operating costs.
“Many of Fife’s parking arrangements are historic and often reflect local arrangements appropriate to that particular area.
“Over time, shopping patterns have changed and the role of our town centres continues to evolve.
“We are continuing to work with towns and communities across Fife to look at their parking needs so that measures put in place are appropriate and reflective of local circumstances.”
Sunday parking charges were introduced in Fife’s main town centres despite some opposition from local businesses and town centre groups.
Churches also raised their concerns at the time, arguing that the imposition of charges might have an adverse effect on congregations and lead to falling attendances.
However, Fife Council stressed the move was needed to bring the region into line with neighbouring areas.
Officials said it would ensure a turnover of available space, as is the case throughout the week, and would generate additional income to offset the cost of parking attendants already deployed on Sundays to ensure safe access to council car parks.
As a concession though, the local authority agreed to start the charging period from 1pm to minimise the impact on churches.
