Borders parking problems prompt call for warden return

Traffic wardens were withdrawn from the Borders - like the rest of Scotland - nearly a decade ago

Calls are being made to bring back parking wardens to the Scottish Borders.

There have not been any for nearly a decade since Police Scotland withdrew the service.

Now figures show that the number of parking tickets issued by a council-funded community action team (CAT) has also dropped sharply.

It has prompted businesses in towns like Peebles to call to bring back specialist wardens.

Kerrie Guiney, who chairs Peebles Business and Retailers Association, owns The Perfect Fit - a children's footwear store.

She said it was a major headache for the town.

"The issue with parking in Peebles is the fact that although we have signage up stating the parking regulations, the reality is everybody knows that those regulations are not enforced," she said.

"Therefore we have people, residents, business owners and people who work on the High Street parking all day, every day on the High Street.

"This is having, I think, a devastating effect on our passing trade on the High Street in Peebles."

Kerrie Guiney said the issues with parking had caused problems for her business and others

She said it caused problems for her customers.

"They're arriving with maybe two, sometimes three children in the car and they cannot get parked," she said.

"So they're circling the town, looking for parking spaces, then they give up.

"They're having to double park, which is then dangerous."

She backed the return of traffic wardens, as does Ian McFadyen who runs House of Gaia in Peebles.

Traffic wardens would be welcome in Peebles, according to Ian McFadyen

He said that parking was "completely unregulated".

"The systems are set that we have a 45-minute stay within Peebles and if you go beyond that in theory you will be ticketed," he said.

"There's no enforcement within Peebles and the local community is aware of that.

"The people who really abide by our parking restrictions on our High Street in Peebles are our visitors because they look at the signage and they presume that that will be enforced."

He said people used to be able to park to do 15 or 20 minute errands but that was no longer possible which was a big issue with an ageing population.

"People who have less mobility need access to our High Street - to be able to pop in and and get their prescriptions or whatever it is that they need to pick up," he said.

Scottish Borders Council is considering introducing decriminalised parking enforcement (DPE)

The majority of councils in Scotland went down the road of decriminalised parking enforcement (DPE) after police wardens were withdrawn.

It allowed them to bring in their own wardens.

Scottish Borders Council (SBC) did not do that - meaning it is still a criminal offence and only the police can enforce the parking regulations.

However, the local authority does fund extra officers as part of the CAT - a partnership with Police Scotland to tackle "lower level" crimes.

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It issued more than 600 tickets in its first nine months of operation but numbers have dwindled recently from 748 in 2021/22 to 353 the following year.

SBC said it had looked at the possibility of DPE on a number of occasions since 2014 but the costs of setting it up had resulted in no further action being taken.

"It is important to note that the council funds the CAT, which is able to focus some resources to tackle dangerous, illegal and inconsiderate parking as part of its wider policing duties," it said in a statement.

"The matter of decriminalised parking is being revisited following the last local government election and a report will be prepared and considered within the term of this current administration."