Elgin’s parking problems to be discussed next week

A comprehensive review of Elgin’s parking problems will go before councillors next week.

However there is no plan for Moray Council to take on the role for enforcing traffic regulations in the town centre.

Instead members of its economic development and infrastructure committee will be asked to approve several measures.

Firstly, they will be asked to consider improving the signs directing motorists to car parks on the four main road entrances to Elgin.

In addition, they will consider changes to parking charges.

This could see the 50p fee for 30 minutes and the £1.50 fee for 60 minutes being replaced with a £1 charge for an hour.

Meanwhile the daily rate at Lossie Green might rise from £1 to £2, bringing it in line with costs at the railway station.

There are plans to introduce some sort of traffic management measures on Elgin High Street, but these will not be looked at in depth until Poundland is refurbished.

Work on the building is expected to be completed in spring 2024.

The report coming to the committee next week follows a meeting in April which involved businesses and the emergency services in addition to the council.

Feedback from that included requests for greater enforcement as well as fines for illegal parking along the pedestrianised area of the town centre.

However, due to reasons of cost, the council is not considering taking on that role.

Firstly, the local authority says it would have to draw up what's called a decriminalised parking enforcement (DPE) plan, which would cost up to £80,000.

Then all road traffic regulation orders relating to parking restrictions would have to be reviewed, costing up to another £300,000.

In his report Neil MacRae, the council's transport manager, wrote: "Approximately one third of Scottish local authorities have not taken on parking enforcement powers.

"These are principally rural authorities, where – like Moray – a positive sustainable financial case has not been identified."

Elgin’s traffic problems will be discussed at the meeting on Tuesday.

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