The car park on West Clyde Street at Helensburgh Pier.
By Bill Heaney
A new parking permit trial for Argyll and Bute goes live on Monday in Oban, Lorn and the Isles.
The scheme, offering weekly and monthly permits for off-street parking at a discounted cost will run for the next 12 months.
If it’s a success, the scheme will be rolled out across the whole of Argyll and Bute – and that means Helensburgh.
In the meantime, parking permit arrangements throughout the rest of the area, including Helensburgh, remain unchanged.
Monthly tickets will cost £60 and weekly tickets £30. To compare, paying via a parking machine at Ganavan Sands in Oban, Lochavullin or Longsdale car parks for a week, and returning daily, would cost £42.00 for a week at the current rate.
The new permits enhance a service that already offers three, six, nine and 12 month permits as well as the ability to pay by phone through the Paysmarti system.
Councillor Roddy McCuish, left, Policy Lead for Roads and Amenity Services, said: “We want to offer greater choice and flexibility to people wishing to use council car parks. The permits also offer a significant discount to those people who park regularly in town.
“The weekly ticket should benefit visitors using Oban as a base for visiting the islands, sailing or perhaps cycling round the area.”
For more information on parking permits and how to buy them go to: http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/parking
The Council currently charges for off street car parks where the demand for parking is greatest. They maintain that charging for car parks helps to ensure there is a turnover of parking spaces available and provides a management regime which is positive in terms of traffic management. It also creates a financial surplus which is used as an income stream that contributes to essential council services.
Meanwhile, the leader of Argyll and Bute Council has welcomed the announcement that Argyll and Bute is to benefit from an allocation of £1,242,000 from the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Fund.
The Town Centre Fund is aimed at driving forward economic growth and helping town centres to become more diverse and sustainable.
Council Leader, Councillor Aileen Morton, right, said: “This is great news for our local communities. We are committed to ensuring that our town centres are attractive, vibrant places for people to live, visit, invest and work.
“Today’s funding announcement will help us to achieve this aspiration, and will enable us to continue to build on the significant regeneration improvements that we have already carried out across Argyll and Bute with our partners.
“Once we receive the funding criteria from the Scottish Government we will be in a better position to determine how and where this money will be invested.”