Edinburgh council chiefs order crackdown on 'unacceptable' parking on semi-pedestrianised Cockburn Street

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Tougher restrictions are to be introduced and patrols by parking attendants are to be stepped up.

The moves were revealed as councillors discussed the future of temporary outdoor dining areas which have been allowed during the pandemic in a bid to help bars and restaurants survive amid Covid restrictions on indoor spaces.

The planning committee agreed to continue its relaxed approach on the structures, which will be allowed to remain in place until October 7.

But convener Neil Gardiner said there was a lot of concern in Cockburn Street about pavement parking and he asked officials for an assurance they would “raise the ante”.

He said: “There needs to be something happening there and it may require some changes to some of the structures or designating drop-off zones or other measures. Frankly, parking on the pavement is completely unacceptable.”

Chief planning officer David Givan said he couldn’t agree more. “In Cockburn Street we have amended the temporary traffic order that is in place to introduce a loading prohibition from the corner of the High Street down to the entrance to Fleshmarket Close, so that will mean parking attendants can take instant enforcement action against any vehicle that’s parked there on the footway or otherwise.

"We will ensure that parking attendants are deployed there on a far more regular basis – in fact, there has been more targeted enforcement there over the last couple of weeks, but once the temporary order is changed then enforcement will have much more teeth.

"What we have put in place will still allow for the loading and unloading and servicing to the businesses and it will not affect those that have a disabled person’s blue badge.

"I’m hoping with that in place we will be able to encourage better behaviour from those using the street.”

And he said with these measures the structures should be able to stay in place for the recommended period, until October 7, but the situation would continue to be monitored.

Tory City Centre councillor Joanna Mowat said the problems were an indication that they had not got the road layout right.

"It’s important we recognise there was this extraordinary situation but we’re moving back to a situation where the city is busier. We did put in place these structures in a way we would never normally have allowed that road layout because what we have permitted is just insufficient space for loading.

“We should ask officers if they can make this work to try and make it work, but where we can’t we should be robust and send the message that we may have to say to businesses it is not possible to facilitate a busy, semi-pedestrianised street and the structures that were put in place in a very different time.

"It’s going to take quite a lot of enforcement and I would like to know that the tools are in place that if that enforcement isn’t working officers have our support to go and take the next stage of action.

"Some of the behaviours we are seeing is downright dangerous and if it gets much busier with pedestrians they ill be extremely dangerous.”

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