Bailie Mike Williamson is among those calling for the council to create longer and wider parking spaces in Pitlochry as a novel solution to a thorny topic in the town.
In 2018, Perth and Kinross Council allocated £150,000 for additional car parking in Pitlochry.
It commissioned a survey by transport company Systra to establish how to create more capacity.
The 99-page document – published in November 2022 – has been criticised for containing inaccurate information.
This has created a further headache for the council as it decides whether to establish a new car park or better utilise existing spaces.
But now a new idea has been put forward.
Cars now 53% bigger
Highland Cllr Mike Williamson (SNP) believes motorists are being deterred from using Pitlochry’s existing car parks because spaces are too narrow.
This is causing cars to clog up the on-street areas, he says.
He cites research from the AA stating that the overall area of modern cars is as much as 53% bigger than in the 1970s.
“Approximately 150 models of cars are now too long to fit in a car parking space,” Cllr Williamson said.
“Yet the average parking space has been 2.4m wide by 4.8m since the 1970s and is a contributing factor in people not using public car parks.
“Across the country people find themselves sharing the public car parks with a variety of wider vehicles and find that they are no longer able to get reasonable access to a parking space or their cars.”
Cllr Williamson says that Perth supermarkets such as Morrisons and M&S have recognised the issue and now include gaps between spaces.
He also believes there is scope to enlarge spaces not only at car parks but on-street as well.
“Supermarkets are taking into account that cars are wider but we need to consider it as well,” he added.
“I have asked officers to review it and that might come out into the car parking policy.”
Parking sizes ‘inadequate’
Cllr Williamson’s suggestion has received a mixed response by townsfolk.
Alex Allan, who runs A.M.A. Hair Design Ltd in Pitlochry, says parking “is a huge headache and something has to be done”.
She added: “There is no easy solution as the town desperately needs more parking but I stand with Mike that the parking sizes in most car parks are inadequate to take modern size cars.
“Being a rural location a lot of vehicles need to be 4x4s, which are larger than city runabouts.”
Stewart Hall, of Pitlochry Community Action Plan, says the group will undertake its own parking survey and thinks it is an idea worth exploring.
“Car parks were designed in the 1950s and 1960s for small vehicles that need updating,” he said.
“So we need to look at the size of parking spaces.
“Will this mean fewer parking spaces? Some people may think that’s madness.
“We are going to do a survey and hopefully come up with some solutions.”
However, Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser (Conservative) sees things differently.
“There has been a suggestion of providing bigger parking spaces,” he said.
“But I personally feel that if you increase the size of the spaces then you would reduce the number available so I’m not keen on that.”
Survey slammed by business community
Pitlochry has public car parks at Ferry Road, Atholl Road and Rie-Achan Road.
There are additionally hundreds of on-street parking spaces.
The Systra survey calculates 279 on-street spaces and 324 in public car parks, making a total of 603.
However, a group of Pitlochry businessmen claim that these numbers are inaccurate and there are actually 156 on-street spaces and 257 in public car parks, making a total of 413.
The survey took place over two days in March 2022 and two days in July 2022. According to the businesses, traffic at this time was still depressed due to the fallout from Covid lockdowns.
Mark Wood, who owns Mackenzies Coffee House, said: “The review did not capture the high volumes of use the town car parks experienced between July and November or during specific events such has the Highland games, Etape and the Enchanted Forest.”
He says the business community has submitted a formal complaint to Barbara Renton, the council’s executive director of communities.
Mark added: “As a business community we have requested that the survey be reviewed and the available public parking bays be accurately represented in the report to deliver a true reflection of the average parking occupancy rates.”
Suggestions from locals
Here is a selection of views from local people and politicians about parking in Pitlochry.
Stewart Hall says there could be a better allocation of spaces at the Atholl Road car park.
He says there are six bays for campervans, two spaces for SSE, three spots for the public library and motorbike parking that are rarely utilised.
“Motorbikes now park on the main street so there is a big space that’s empty every day. That could give more spaces for cars,” he said.
He also believes a “tasteful” electronic sign informing Atholl Road motorists about parking vacancies could be useful.
Cllr Mike Williamson points out that 60% of motorists don’t stick to the 30-minute time limit when they park in Atholl Road. “That is an enforcement issue that can be dealt with,” he said.
Highland ward Cllr John Duff (Conservative) believes the allocated £150,000 funding should still be used “for additional parking as originally envisaged.”
MSP Murdo Fraser (Conservative) said: “I have been aware for years of issues with parking in Pitlochry, particularly during the peak tourist season, and would be supportive of any moves to increase parking provision.
Despite living in in West Street, opposite the Rie-Achan Road car park, David Blair struggles to park his car near his home.
Free parking is limited, so vehicles overflow outside his property.
“There should be more parking in Pitlochry,” he said.
What the council says
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “We are in dialogue with Systra regarding the report to ensure that all data gathered in the survey remains valid today.
“Our officers are also reviewing the car parking arrangements in Pitlochry, for example to improve signage to the car parks.”
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