The meters will be placed in various locations in the town centre.
At a meeting of East Lothian Planning Committee on Tuesday 7th October, committee members approved plans for 27 parking meters, grouped in 12 planning applications, in locations in North Berwick town centre.
The parking meters will be solar powered, so no cables or utilities connections will be needed, standing at just over 1.5 metres high, with a black front and high security stainless steel body with anti-graffiti coating. They will accept cash or card (chip and pin or contactless) payments and will be compliant with all relevant standards for disabled access.
Between six and 29 objections were received for each of the 12 applications, with the main grounds including that the meters will cause an obstruction on already narrow pavements, that they will not solve current parking issues, that they will neither preserve nor enhance the Conservation Area or the settings of nearby listed buildings, and that there is local opposition to parking meters. North Berwick Community Council objected to all the applications, except Kirk Ports, on which they made no comment.
Planning Officers recommended approval of the proposals, stating that the slim design and positioning of the meters would not have a detrimental impact on their locations and, given the distance between the parking meters and the intervening land and buildings between them, the proposed meters would not lead to any harmful cumulative impact on the Conservation Area or loss of amenity to any neighbouring residential properties.
The full list of locations for meters agreed at Planning Committee is; four on High Street, three on Melbourne Place, three on Forth Street, two on Quality Street and one within The Lodge car park, three on St Andrew Street, two on St Margarets Road, two at Westgate, two on Melbourne Road, two at Kirk Ports, one at School Road, one at Quadrant and one in the car park at Tantallon Terrace.
Councillor Findlay had proposed an amendment to the High Street application, to refuse permission for the meter in front of St Andrew Blackadder Church at 83 High Street, which was seconded by Councillor Allan. This option was included in the roll-call vote. Members voted to approve the original application, with the St Andrew Blackadder Church meter included, eight votes to three.
Voting for the other applications was as follows: Melbourne Place, approved nine votes to one; Forth Street, approved nine votes to one; Quality Street approved nine votes to one; St Andrew Street approved nine votes to one; St Margarets Road approved nine votes to one; Westgate approved eight votes to two; Melbourne Road, approved nine to one; Kirk Ports, approved eight to one (Councillor Hampshire will speak to the project team about a potential relocation of the car park meter to ensure no confusion because of the proximity to High Street); School Road, approved eight votes to one; Quadrant, approved eight votes to one and Tantallon Terrace approved seven votes to one. For noting, voting numbers changed as two committee members had to leave the meeting before the end.
The relevant application numbers are: High Street, 25/00352/P; Melbourne Place, 25/00355/P; Forth Street, 25/00764/P; Quality Street, 25/00655/P; St Andrew Street, 25/00762/P; St Margarets Road 25/00363/P; Westgate, 25/00365/P; Melbourne Road, 25/00731/P; Kirk Ports, 25/00636/P; School Road, 25/00360/P; Quadrant, 25/00358/P; Tantallon Terrace, 25/00657/P.