Parking Proposals for Linlithgow - A Resident's Views
John Aitken - August 2006
I moved to Linlithgow in 1974 and I have seen the town change a great deal,
sometimes for the better - but mainly not.
When the late Jim Clark was Convenor of West Lothian District Council, I
suggested to him that the Council should deal with the town's growing need for
infrastructure improvements and leisure facilities. His response was that first
there should be more housing development, contributing more taxes to the
Council, and that the Council would then apply this additional income to meeting
the town's needs. How wrong he was!
As the town has grown, largely out of proper control, the 'value' of every
scrap of available land is measured in terms of the maximum number of dwellings
that it might support, irrespective of its suitability for housing use or the
town's need for more houses. The resulting high land values mean that any other
uses - car parking, leisure facilities, relief roads etc. are ruled out due to
the high cost of acquiring the land. We are doomed to strangulation by more and
more housing. Recently this has been almost exclusively new flats, apparently
because flats do not put pressure on the secondary school. But flat occupiers
and their visitors have cars which further congest our streets and usually
require more parking spaces than those included in the development.
It is time to stop this piecemeal approach and to plan more effectively.
The Parking Needs of a Commuter Town
Linlithgow has become a commuter town. People choose to live here because of
the pleasant situation and convenient rail transport to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Many commuters live too far from the railway station to walk, so they drive
there and park their cars all day while they are at work.
This legitimate demand for commuter car parking quickly fills the few long
term parking spaces provided. It occupies all of the kerbside spaces on roads
near the station. Then more distant roads are used and car parks that were
intended for other users. The result is congestion and very few parking spaces
left for tourists and others who want to shop, visit friends or use the town's
facilities.
This has been made worse by new housing at The Drum, Bo'ness. People buy more
affordable houses there and drive to Linlithgow to catch the Edinburgh - Glasgow
train, parking their cars all day.
The provision of adequate facilities for commuter car parking should be an
essential service, like emptying the rubbish bins and lighting the streets.
These people are acting reasonably, using the train to commute rather than
congesting the cities and motorways by driving to work. Perhaps a few of them
use their cars when they easily could walk to the station but most drive there
because the walk is too far to be convenient.
Shoppers, Residents and Visitors
Town centre parking is required to cover the needs of tourists, visitors,
shoppers, businesses and those who live there. If commuters had adequate long
stay parking facilities then the remaining parking in Linlithgow would meet the
needs of these users.
Council 'Consultation'
West Lothian Council's 'consultation' document proposes reducing the number
of long term spaces available and charging 40p per hour for most of the
currently free spaces. It doesn't describe how the increase in commuters'
parking requirements will be met.
Those who want to shop in the town will be put off by the charges and will
drive to Falkirk, Livingston or the Gyle. Commuters will clog up residential
streets outside the charge zones or take their cars into Edinburgh and Glasgow,
increasing urban congestion and pollution. They are already parking in Friars
Brae, outside the proposed area. The cost to commuters living in Linlithgow will
go up by over £1,000 per year and buying a house in the town will become less
attractive, adversely impacting property values.
Resident zones may provide some parking spaces for residents who pay £20 for
a permit (space permitting) but do nothing for visitors with cars coming to stay
for a few days or friends who drive over for coffee.
An Alternative Proposal
Providing commuters with sufficient all day parking spaces, charged at an
affordable discounted rate, would seem to be a workable solution, leaving the
remaining parking spaces free of charge but restricted to 2 hours maximum
between 9 am and 5 pm Monday to Friday and therefore available to shoppers,
visitors and others. Permits could permit residents to park for longer periods.
Parking restrictions could be more effectively enforced.
The commuter car park would need to be convenient to the station. There is
land south of the canal, the bond warehouse area or a 'Park and Ride' car park
on the periphery of the town with a frequent bus connection to the station,
scheduled to coincide with the train timetable. Spaces should also be provided
for tourist busses. Such a scheme would cost money but Linlithgow contributes a
great deal in Council Tax and our ('best in UK') Council's motto is 'West
Lothian Delivers'. I think adequate parking facilities is an essential service
that the commuters and other residents of Linlithgow deserve to be provided
with.
Have Your Say!
If you want to express your own opinions on relevant issues, whether or not
in response to John Aitken's article, please send them to the Secretary or
email them to newsletter@lct.org.uk.
We will include them here if we feel that they are relevant.
The opinions expressed here are those of the relevant authors and do not
represent the views of Linlithgow Civic Trust.
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