Wednesday, April 04, 2018

Parking meters have been ordered

Yesterday we contacted Highland Council in connection with a press article that indicated parking meters had been ordered for Dingwall, we asked: "Have any parking meters been ordered for Nairn?"

We had a prompt response this morning, "A Highland Council spokesperson said: “New parking meters have been ordered to support the roll out of charging for parking, as per decisions on parking approved at the Council’s budget meeting of the 15 February 2018.”

Free parking (for now) in Nairn town centre and very hard to find a space this morning 4th April 2018

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Be interesting to know when ..... what exact date .... they were ordered?

UT said...

I believe we've been sold down the river by three of our councillors, and talking of water will the harbour ever be fixed?

Anonymous said...

Is it still radon holding up the harbour?

Anonymous said...

heggie,, laurie etc should resign and make liz provost again
they,ll get nae parkin cash oot o me
mr.titus aduxas.

Marie Matthews said...

So much for further consultation and feedback from local groups - I am appalled at the disregard for local businesses that are trying to keep facilities open for those who can't, or don't want to, shop in the retail parks. I thought policy was to keep High Streets vibrant!! Hope people use their votes wisely next elections!!!

Unknown said...

This is dreadful, Cllrs.Heggie & Laurie Fraser failing to stand up for Nairn.
Will Laurie get a parking meter for outside his shop with the "No to Parking Charges sign " ??
JR

Anonymous said...

Shameful! hang your heads!! I hope they fall off the back of the lorry! Lets see how they police the whole system. Cars Park on the pavement in the high street daily, out side Max's and out side the church on a Sunday, This might be the norm everyday to avoid parking charges!! Just park where you like!!

Anonymous said...

Typical council riding roughshod over us all. Can we still fight on or is that it? I heard on the grapevine that the harbour car park may not even be open by the summer - has anyone heard that?
Campervans now in abundance at the Maggot car park over easter. More to come over summer for sure unless a parking meter goes up.

Anonymous said...

This issue could well bring trust in Highland Council and our own Councillors to a new low point (which I didn't really think was possible).

As indicated by Anon at 11.17 above, the date of the order should be ascertained, as should the date when the Councillors involved knew about this order.

Can the Gurn continue it's public interest investigation by pursuing these two points?

Rita Meter Maid said...

The official Highland Council statement shows that they regard the budget vote as a fait accompli. The fact that they have already committed scarce funds to the purchase of the equipment confirms that they are determined to impose these new measures irrespective of local community and business views.

This also reveals how hollow were the supposed assurances about 'consultation', and how naive and incompetent our three councillors were to accept - and be fobbed off by - such empty words. They were warned before the budget meeting that the vote would be regarded as binding and not subject to subsequent modification.

The councillors concerned had better not be under the illusion that their behaviour will be overlooked or forgotten. If an attempt is made to proceed with the imposition of parking charges in Nairn, those three councillors will have no option but to resign.

Anonymous said...

Why don't we stick together and just nobody pay to park.
Let's see if this "community spirit" really does exist in Nairn or not.
It's the only way forward now. Support each other.
I am not going to pay, especially not paying to park at the harbour where I have parked for 50 plus years.
I really don't think people will refuse to pay.....surprise me please.

Sláinte said...

I seem to remember that Highland council hope to raise £35K a year with the onset of parking charges in Nairn.

I have another idea. As most of of our Nairn councillors seem to be complicit with Highland council's wishes why not sack two of them (or more) and their salaries + expenses would more than cover the needed money. Nairn would be without spokespeople for Highland council but we could also be without parking charges

I feel very aggrieved as I voted for one particular councillor who seemed very pro our community and seemed inspiring. 2018, it's the mess we live in, even in Nairn.

Sheena Baker said...

Well Rita Meter Maid covered most of my thinking as did Anon @ 11.17.

Deeper question is who authorised the orders to be placed?

If it was the Dingwall Councillor who verbally bludgeoned the Councillors to vote for the budget OR the paid HC staff who did the ”questionable calculations” for the supposed return generated from installing meters

Then we need to know.

Who is actually in charge at Highland Council? We were advised that Margaret Davidson was spearheading a review. So one would assume she was also unaware that the order was placed!

I would also appreciate knowing if the number of parking meters ordered was based on the original calculations which included the Common Good Land Or did they reduce the total number required when the error surrounding the inclusion of those areas was highlighted. If they did reduce the numbers then it was a thought through calculated act.

Someone less cynical than I would think that it was done so they could say “ Oh well they have been ordered now and are here so it will be a waste of money if we do not install them! “ I can see that one coming! Having given voice to it I would hope that I am proved wrong. Got a strange feeling tho’……………………………….

Questions need to be asked and very quickly. Orders can be cancelled or amended. Our four Councillors should be on the phone first thing Thursday if they have not already been to get this order stopped.

As others have pointed out – if this is not resolved quickly and in a manner and effect that does not impinge on Nairn Town Centre, then three Councillors should resign and give the towns folk the chance to put in place people who will act in the best interests of Nairn, it’s residents and visitors!

Resign said...

I had thought that councillors offered an interface between the communities that they serve and the council, exchanging information both ways.

But it seem that in Nairn we have three councillors who no longer act in that way. They attend public meetings, hear what the community has to say and then ignore it when they attend meetings at Glenurquhart Road. They do however listen to everything that Highland council has to say and fully support every word.

Not only are they paid by Highland council but they act as their servants, imposing without question anything HC wants even though it was us not HC that voted them into office.