Border Telegraph | News | Rugby car parking option fails to knock problem into touch

Saturday, 17th May, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 26th March, 2008 09:00

Rugby car parking option fails to knock problem into touch

By Ally McGilvray

Comments (0)

Print Article

Image related to story, see caption or article text

Despite the plan for 30 new spaces, parking in Melrose is still a cause for concern.

PROBLEMS with parking are driving motorists in Melrose round the bend.

Scottish Borders Council has unveiled six potential new sites for car parks in the town to ease the congestion.

But it argued only one, opening the privately-owned rugby club car park to the public, could be driven forward at any speed.

Council chiefs revealed their plans during a meeting with local traders, hosted by Melrose and District Community Council, in the Ormiston Institute amid fears the lack of parking spaces is driving shoppers away from the area.

It comes just weeks before a new traffic order is due to be enforced which would introduce bays and could restrict parking in the town centre to one hour, and follows the introduction of the new one-way system.

Melrose Traders Association chairwoman Angela Dewar, who runs Papa Jacks Café in the town, said: “I think the option of the rugby club is fine but I don’t think it will solve the problem.

“What’s happening at the moment is people are coming into town, driving round the one-way system, not being able to find a space and then driving away again.”

The meeting heard the triangle of land next to the rugby club (87 spaces), an area of the Gibson Park (85 spaces), an extension to the Abbey car park (33 spaces), land off Anney Road (156 spaces) and redevelopment of the Nutwood car park (30 spaces) had also been considered as potential new car parks to take vehicles off the narrow streets in Melrose.

The cheapest option was to upgrade the car park at the rugby club to create 30 “new” spaces.

However, members heard that it was already used by cars throughout the week and would not be available on match days, and urged the council to include other options.

Russell Cramb, assistant development control officer at Scottish Borders Council, said: “We would hope a car park could be constructed by the end of the summer and then we could carry out a survey to see if it was working okay.

“We could find the cost for the rugby club site quite easily but other sites would cost more and have to compete for money with other projects in the works programme.”

Three of the sites, the Abbey car park, Anney Road and Nutwood, were all but ruled out by the council because they fall into the shadow of Melrose Abbey and concerns were raised that tarmacking over the sites could raise objections from Historic Scotland and any archaeological finds could bring work to a stop.

Fears were voiced that creating parking spaces at the so-called triangle, next to the rugby club, would make the town entrance look more like a supermarket car park – despite many traders seeming keen to check out the idea.

And, putting wire mesh down on a strip of land at Gibson Park to form more spaces was also kicked into touch.

Scottish Borders Council leader David Parker said: “The big issue for Melrose is it’s difficult to find spaces for a car park.

“The car park at the rugby club would provide a good number of additional spaces and because of it’s central location and cost it would be good value for money.”

Police chiefs have vowed to clampdown on problem parking in Melrose in the lead up to the 125th Melrose Sevens next month with more patrols by traffic wardens.

The meeting heard some shoppers were double parking because shopkeepers were blocking the spaces by parking in them all day.

Community councillor Graham Baker, who chaired the discussion, said: “Personally, I wouldn’t like to see Gibson Park or the triangle used as a car park and I know people in the town who would challenge that.”

But, referring to opposition to an extension of the Abbey car park, he added: “I didn’t see archaeologists digging when they built the great big extension at St Mary’s School – how did they get away with that?”

Police chiefs have vowed to clampdown on problem parking in Melrose in the lead up to the 125th Melrose Sevens next month with more patrols by traffic wardens.

Community council vice-chairwoman Val Miller went on to say: “We can’t magic a space.” And community councillor Lorna Paterson added: “I think we’ll still be here in another five years scratching our heads.”

Comments