CONTENTIOUS proposals for a major review of planned car parking charges in North Ayrshire town centres were rejected at a council meeting last week.

Labour councillors Jim Montgomerie and John Sweeney put forward a motion that, owing to the cost of living crisis, the decriminalised parking enforcement plans be paused and reviewed.

However, cabinet member for place, Councillor Scott Davidson (SNP), put forward an amendment, saying that the levels of car parking charges should be reconsidered and a report prepared for a future cabinet meeting.

Tory group leader Tom Marshall put forward another amendment that charges could be waived for the first half an hour but this was voted down.

Under the plans, announced earlier this year, parking charges will be introduced next year at the following areas of Saltcoats: Chapelwell Street (behind the Bank of Scotland), Bradshaw Street, Windmill Street and Kirkgate. Car parks in Kilwinning, Irvine and Largs will also be affected.

Charges would be introduced Monday through Friday from 9am until 5pm. Weekend parking would remain free of charge in these areas.

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The charges proposed for these areas are: an hour - £1.50; two hours - £2; four hours - £3.50. All day parking will not be permitted.

However, free parking will be retained at the Braes and Union Street car parks 24/7.

It is hoped that the introduction of these charges will clamp down on rogue parking, while ensuring a greater turnover of available spaces in short-stay car parks.

Overall, the charges will only affect around 20 per cent of the available spaces in Saltcoats, due to the increased number of spaces in the larger long stay facilities.

In his summing up at last week's meeting, Cllr Montgomerie said the original plans for parking charges had to be paused as so much had changed since being put forward in 2019 by the ruling Labour party, and that businesses had not been consulted properly by the SNP.

However, Cllr Davidson said Labour had been all for the charges when they were put to a vote in 2019.

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Cllr Davidson’s amendment was voted through by 17 to 14 with one abstention.

Councillor Sweeney said after the meeting: “We asked the council to consider the current cost of living crisis and the economic situation many people and businesses find themselves in.

"We asked that the introduction be paused until it could be fully reviewed against the current pressures we are facing.

"The world has changed so much since 2019 but unfortunately the SNP and Tories want to act as if nothing has changed.”

Cllr Montgomerie added: “All you need to do is go onto social media to see how local businesses and residents feel about introducing parking charges at this time.

“Some of the SNP and Tory councillors have been telling people they oppose parking charges in private but as usual, when it comes to the crunch, they do what they’re told by their party leadership, not what their constituents are calling for.”