A Liberal Democrat councillor has expressed grave concerns about the difficulties in finding a parking place at Leuchars Station and the consequent large number of fines being issued.
Tay Bridgehead councillor Tim Brett has today expressed concern about the very large number of parking tickets that have recently been issued at Leuchars Railway Station. Cllr Brett said, ‘As everyone is aware, the car park at that station is full from very early in the morning until late in the afternoon. Up to four dozen cars are then parked along Station Road all the way from the footbridge up to the junction at Toll Road.’
Cllr Brett went on to say that he had been contacted by a Newport resident who had incurred a parking ticket for parking outwith a marked bay. ‘When I spoke to the Council’s parking team, I was shocked to be told that a total of 290 fixed penalty notices had been issued at Leuchars since 1 April this year. 258 of these had been for parking outwith a marked bay. 24 were for parking in an electric vehicle charging bay (without charging) and 8 were for parking within a disabled bay without displaying a blue badge. I fear that many of those who received tickets will not park at Leuchars again. What is particularly frustrating is that it is now next to impossible to get a parking place in the station car-park unless you arrive there very early in the morning.’
Cllr Brett recalled that the Administration of Fife Council had agreed to provide funding for an extension to the car-park at the budget meeting in February this year. ‘Whilst I am aware that some progress has been made, planning permission having been granted, I understand that we are still waiting to hear from Transport Scotland as to whether they are going to provide matching funding this vitally-needed project. Despite my asking Council officials on a number of occasions for an update, I am still waiting to be told whether the money has been received.’
He continued, ‘This situation is now getting intolerable, not helped by the strict enforcement by the Council’s car-parking team, although we know that new parking facilities should be provided soon. The difficulty at Leuchars is that there are no alternative on-street parking sites available, so I would caution motorists to be very careful about where and how they park. Urgent action is needed to deliver the extra parking spaces that have been promised, with a clear timetable of when this will be achieved.’
Cllr Brett concluded by expressing the hope that the proposed new car-park spaces would resolve the problem. ‘Furthermore, the introduction of charges will perhaps help to discourage motorists from driving from as far away as Dundee and Angus, to park at Leuchars Station.
Cllr Tim Brett and Cllr Maggie Taylor are pictured below at the station :
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