More Capital parking zones in bid to curb commuters' cars

The new controlled zone comes after a massive expansion of parking restrictions which began nearly two years ago.

While this has resolved parking issues in the controlled areas, many drivers have just chosen to park in neighbouring streets.

The new controlled parking zone will take in around 15 streets from Grange Loan to the South Suburban Railway line, and adjoins the S1 zone which was introduced last year.

A public consultation found nearly two-thirds of residents supported the plan and it has now been given the green light by councillors.

It is likely to be the first of many new zones, with officials currently investigating ways of extending restrictions to some of the worst-hit areas of the city, such as South Morningside, Prestonfield and Craigleith. Four other areas, including Murrayfield and Gorgie, will be monitored over the next year to see if they need to be included.

City transport leader Phil Wheeler said today: "Since the introduction of the controlled parking zone extension we have been inundated with requests from residents in other areas to the south of the city to install controls to curb commuter parking.

"I'm delighted that we can now progress with the process. However, we must ensure that measures are taken to prevent the simple displacement of commuter parking and I look forward to seeing how this could be done in all areas around the fringes of the controlled parking zone."

The cost of implementing parking controls in the new area has been estimated at 150,000, which will be met from next year's capital investments programme. The new zone will be known as "South of S1" and a formal statutory consultation process will now get under way.

But Councillor Cameron Rose, Tory representative for the Southside and Newington ward, suggested that city leaders should be looking at different ways to tackle clogged-up streets.

He said: "The key issue with this new zone and all controlled parking is the pressures it puts on the areas just outside the zone.

"We have had this tradition in this city where we build a zone and the problems gradually build up around it so we build another zone. We need to look at more innovative ideas, and I am in talks with the council officials about this."

Cllr Rose suggested clever deployment of yellow lines in the streets around the zones will foil commuter car parking and help avoid a repeat of the chaotic scenes in areas like the Grange when the S1 zone was introduced.

Of the 327 responses to the South of S1 consultation, 208 indicated broad support for the scheme while 104 were opposed to the introduction of parking controls. Most of those in favour of controls cited the impact of displaced commuter parking as the main reasons for supporting the proposal. Those against the scheme said there was no need for it and objected to paying.