The SNP in Renfrewshire have confirmed that their councillors will not be supporting proposals to introduce parking charges in two Renfrewshire towns.
The proposed new measures of parking controls, which included parking charges, were to be introduced in and around Johnstone and Renfrew town centres. This would have been the first time Renfrewshire Council have charged for parking outside Paisley.
The party said they took into consideration the outcome of a consultation process but Labour councillor John Hood said the cost of the consultation process could have paid for a teacher.
Since the announcement of the upcoming changes, the council faced a strong backlash from the public with over 7,500 people signing a petition organised by Johnstone Business Consortium and Johnstone Community Council.
The proposals will be presented at the next Renfrewshire Council Infrastructure, Land and Environment policy board on 29th August 2018. All of Renfrewshire’s SNP councillors will vote against their own proposals.
Cllr Cathy McEwan, Convener of the Infrastructure, Land and Environment Board said: “When these proposals were first put forward for consultation, we stated that any proposals would clearly need to demonstrate the benefit to the local communities.
“We have listened and based on the information we have and the feedback received locally, there is no clear consensus for the introduction of parking charges in Johnstone and Renfrew. I am pleased that the SNP group have arrived at this decision collectively and decisively. It is the right decision for the communities of Renfrew and Johnstone.”
John Hood, Labour councillor for Johnstone South and Elderslie, said: “I’m glad they listened to the people of Johnstone but what a waste of money.
“The SNP spent £40,000 on a consultation that could have been used to pay for a teacher. Now they have cut Johnstone and Renfrew from the parking charges – how will they replace the extra funds they were expecting to receive from the new parking charges?
“Probably from Paisley. They have put up the parking tickets there already and plan to charge for parking permits. The last administration began to cut the charges with a view to stopping them.
“I would like to ask if it’s the Paisley Buddies who are subsidising the rest of renfrewshire now?”
Tom Wallace, Chairman of Johnstone Community Council is glad to see the idea of charges be dropped. He said: “We’re glad to see that the administration has come to their senses and binned this. But the sad fact is it should never have gotten this far and we’re glad they did come to their senses.
“Ten months this dragged on. If they came to us at the start we wouldn’t have had to go though all that.”
Cllr Emma Rodden SNP, Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch, said: “We said at the outset that we needed the consultation process to be thorough and complete.
“Residents of Johnstone and Renfrew can be confident that we were listening to all the opinions expressed. We sought out your views and we fully considered all the issues in coming to our decision.
“We are thankful to everyone who engaged with us during the consultation.”
Cllr Jacqueline Cameron SNP, Johnstone South and Elderslie, said: “This was never a u-turn, we said all along that we would listen to the voice of the community and the business community in particular.
We are a listening and inclusive administration and our constituents made their views known loud and clear. Johnstone is a busy town centre, bucking the trend of other small towns in Scotland, so this is the right decision and I know the people of Johnstone will be relieved to hear it.”