{"id":1142,"date":"2013-08-13T13:47:26","date_gmt":"2013-08-13T12:47:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/abbeylandsresidents.org.uk\/?p=1142"},"modified":"2013-09-03T09:56:02","modified_gmt":"2013-09-03T08:56:02","slug":"letter-not-everyone-wants-public-car-parking-at-abbeylands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/letter-not-everyone-wants-public-car-parking-at-abbeylands\/","title":{"rendered":"Letter to press: Not everyone wants public car parking at Abbeylands"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
The 11:00am rush to pick up a pie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not everyone wants public car parking at Abbeylands, Dunbar. Over 50 signatures, all people who live nearby, believe resident parking is a higher priority. Residents have no dedicated parking provision, unlike in Haddington or North Berwick, and what long term parking is now available will be reduced to nothing if current muddled plans go ahead. Among traders and residents there is a broad consensus that the problem in Dunbar is exaggerated and being used as a political football. Councillors really ought to listen to ratepayers and not follow their populist instincts.<\/p>\n

True, some people want parking liberalised and double yellows to mean \u2018time to pick up a pie\u2019. On any day of the week you’ll observe their antics on a street near you: blocking your bus stops, abusing disabled bays, and obstructing pedestrian passing places. Daily the Abbeylands junction is blocked by such folk. But are these symptoms of a parking problem, or, a simple lack of consideration, laziness and weak enforcement? Abbeylands is the last place that you would locate public car park anyway – as it is a cul de sac and a road to nowhere. As is this and previous administrations\u2019 irrational pursuit of car-friendly policies, mainly benefiting 2 and 3 car owning suburban classes. All contrary to its own published objectives and against government policy. Officers should follow their strategy and implement it based on evidence.<\/p>\n

The evidence? The most recent parking study found that utilisation of parking facilities barely reached capacity during the day and concluded there was no objective shortage, but observed residents were using public places (I wonder why?). Based on this evidence, the Council consulted on extending the length of time a car can park from 60m to 90m barely a month ago. A welcome change that would decrease car turnover and have a calming effect too? So who would not support a little more time for visitors to browse shops, have meetings and grab a coffee too. Safer too, as there\u2019d be less cars jostling for space and better use the existing facilities, which just need better signage?<\/p>\n

But no, Dunbar has become a “drive by” convenience economy rather than a destination. Over the years \u2018beggar thy neighbour\u2019 policies have favoured cheap (and not so cheap) convenience stores and takeaways with the result that our High Streets are now much less welcoming to visitors and increasingly less desirable for residents. But it doesn\u2019t have to be that way. To paraphrase Malcolm Fraser, Scottish government adviser on town centre regeneration, vibrant town centres will be the ones where people also want to live in and without the stigma of being seen as second class.<\/p>\n

As for Abbeylands, it is crying out for an imaginative street scheme and some trees, but not a car park. It would be an ideal place for a pocket park or a quiet community garden or even a smaller social housing scheme with nice gardens for the elderly. At worst it could be a private housing development, which would help defray the previously sunk costs.<\/p>\n

High street residents can add their names to the petition here:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/abbeylandsresidents.org.uk\/petition\/<\/a> <\/b><\/p>\n

Letter sent to East Lothian Courier and the East Lothian News<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Not everyone wants public car parking at Abbeylands, Dunbar. Over 50 signatures, all people who live nearby, believe resident parking is a higher priority. Residents have no dedicated parking provision, unlike in Haddington or North Berwick, and what long term parking is now available will be reduced to nothing if current muddled plans go ahead. … Continue reading Letter to press: Not everyone wants public car parking at Abbeylands<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":155,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-opinion"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":990,"url":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/petition\/","url_meta":{"origin":1142,"position":0},"title":"RESIDENTIAL PARKING FOR ABBEYLANDS: KEEP THE CUL DE SAC QUIET & SAFE","author":"Barodunum","date":"August 14, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Petition to formalise residential parking and establish an attractive street scheme in the Abbeylands cul de sac. \u00a0Say no to a public parking lot. We've moved the petition to Change.org. If you only signed a paper version, it won't harm if you sign online again. Only complete this form if\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/topics\/events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"test-card","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2012\/02\/test-card.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2012\/02\/test-card.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2012\/02\/test-card.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2012\/02\/test-card.png?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1694,"url":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/the-bus-stops-here-why-i-object-to-a-new-bus-stop\/","url_meta":{"origin":1142,"position":1},"title":"The Bus Stops here","author":"templar","date":"March 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Why I object to a new bus stop Without any real notice, exactly one working day to be precise, I received notification from Peter Forsyth, Senior Area Officer (Transport), of a plan to alter the configuration of the post office parking bay, so that it may accommodate a new bus\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/topics\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2014\/03\/co-operative-no-good-at-parking.png?fit=1200%2C422&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2014\/03\/co-operative-no-good-at-parking.png?fit=1200%2C422&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2014\/03\/co-operative-no-good-at-parking.png?fit=1200%2C422&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2014\/03\/co-operative-no-good-at-parking.png?fit=1200%2C422&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2014\/03\/co-operative-no-good-at-parking.png?fit=1200%2C422&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":801,"url":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/proposed-waiting-and-loading-restrictions-in-dunbar-ensure-high-street-is-resident-parking-free-zone\/","url_meta":{"origin":1142,"position":2},"title":"Proposed Waiting and Loading Restrictions in Dunbar ensure High Street is Resident Parking-Free Zone","author":"Barodunum","date":"February 28, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"East Lothian Council is recommending that the existing Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) for Dunbar be amended to reflect current parking behaviour and road use by residents and businesses.\u00a0A formal consultation letter has been sent out to statutory consultees. The Council would also like to gather the views of others with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/topics\/events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dunbar-Proposed-TRO","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2013\/02\/Dunbar-Proposed-TRO.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2013\/02\/Dunbar-Proposed-TRO.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2013\/02\/Dunbar-Proposed-TRO.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":515,"url":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/the-greater-good-the-case-for-convenient-parking\/","url_meta":{"origin":1142,"position":3},"title":"The greater good: the case for convenient parking","author":"templar","date":"June 30, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"There are 2 stakeholders whose views won\u2019t be heard very loudly in this minority debate about parking versus social housing at Abbeylands. \u00a0The people who could occupy the accommodation that may now not be built, whose voice usually goes unheard. When it is, there\u2019s always an unhealthy voyeuristic angle to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/topics\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The problem with parking","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2012\/05\/DSC_0288-001-300x201.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1016,"url":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/who-controls-dunbar\/","url_meta":{"origin":1142,"position":4},"title":"Who Controls Dunbar?","author":"Barodunum","date":"May 21, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"If you've ever visited Dunbar in the summer, you'll know it is the resident gull population that is in control. Local Dunbar residents share their tight living spaces with a small but significant colony of nesting gulls, which in some previous years have bred rather too successfully. Gulls are a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/topics\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Gull Control Dunbar - No Parking","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2013\/05\/DSC_0008.jpg?fit=800%2C495&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2013\/05\/DSC_0008.jpg?fit=800%2C495&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2013\/05\/DSC_0008.jpg?fit=800%2C495&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/files\/2013\/05\/DSC_0008.jpg?fit=800%2C495&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1000,"url":"https:\/\/ourlocality.org\/abbeylands\/response-to-dunbar-traffic-regulation-order-proposals\/","url_meta":{"origin":1142,"position":5},"title":"Response to Dunbar Traffic Regulation Order Proposals","author":"templar","date":"May 16, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I welcome that the council is consulting on these proposals. 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