New group aim to tackle inconsiderate parking in Borders town

Peebles Business and Retailers Association said some residents and business owners were parking on roads for "weeks at a time".

It said that passing trade for shops along High Street, Eastgate, Northgate and Old Town was being "cut off" due to a lack of on-street spots.

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“Peebles is a town with a rich history, beautiful scenery, a wonderful sense of community and home to many small businesses popular with locals and visitors alike," said a spokesperson for the association.

“However, there is an ongoing issue facing local retailers and businesses which is having a massive impact and leaving many questioning their future and wondering whether they can continue to trade.

“In particular, parking on the main streets such as the High Street, Eastgate, Northgate and Old Town where the majority of retail businesses are located.

“With parking charges recently increasing in some car parks in the town, and consultations ongoing to introduce charges across all town car parks, both locals and visitors to the town are increasingly looking to park on street rather than in a designated car park.

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“Whilst signage showing parking regulations is in place, the reality is that there is nobody enforcing these restrictions.

“With parking wardens having been removed from service in Peebles, police now have responsibility for enforcing parking regulations on street.

“We all know how under-resourced and over-stretched the police service is which means checks are made so infrequently, if at all.

“This results in some residents and business owners parking on the streets for hours, sometimes days and, on occasion, weeks at a time without moving.

“As a result, there are often no spaces available for passing trade; for those who drive into Peebles in the hope of quickly nipping out of the car to post a parcel, pick up a prescription, drop a donation at the charity shop, grab a bacon roll, bunch of flowers, gift or visit one of the many brilliant businesses in our town.

“This is having a devastating impact on those businesses, with potential customers instead opting to go where parking is immediately available such as filling stations and supermarkets."

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The spokesperson added: “With an absence of available street parking, passing trade is essentially being cut off; we only need to look at towns not too far up the road to see what an adverse impact the loss of passing trade can have.

“Shop closures, businesses moving out, empty units and large retailers popping up and cashing in are all very real prospects.

“On top of this, the High Street in particular, is often gridlocked by double parking. And it is not just frustrating for drivers when this happens, it also poses a real safety risk too.

“Double parking, parking on single or double yellow lines and pavements all lead to dangerous conditions for pedestrians; parents having to navigate prams and young children into the road without clear view, wheelchair users forced into the road to pass parked cars.

“It is a recipe for disaster and understandably puts people off driving into Peebles."

The spokesperson said there was no "quick fix" but many of the issues could be resolved if parking restrictions were followed and enforced.

Issuing a plea, the spokesperson said: “Residents, business owners and workers, please park with consideration for those small business and retailers who make Peebles such a popular town and those customers who wish to use them.

“Without your support, we will lose our vibrancy and appeal and find our town a shell of its former self.”