A MAN says he fears residents are being punished because of an increase in people parking in the Gorbals and Hutchesontown areas.  

John Crossan, who lives in the Gorbals, says since the LEZ was introduced on June 1, 2023, there has been a rise in the number of people parking in the area when going to the city centre.  

He said: "There’s more and more people coming in and using spaces up and that’s having an impact. 

"You can see every other week there’s more and more cars."

Now, residents and business owners in the Gorbals and Hutchesontown have been contacted by Glasgow City Council asking them to complete an online survey, which closes on Sunday, November 17, about proposed parking controls and traffic measures.   

A map of the proposed parking control zone shows it would be in place from Caledonia Road in the south up to the River Clyde and from Crown Street, Laurieston Road and Cathcart Road in the west to the River Clyde in the east.  

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A letter dated October 7, 2024, which was sent to residents, and seen by the Glasgow Times, reads: "Parking and Road Safety has been an ongoing topic for discussion in the Gorbals and Hutchesontown area for several years and has seen the council implement various measures to address concerns.  

"As part of the latest proposals to introduce parking controls the council have committed to carrying out a community engagement to establish the support and details for any parking controls and associated traffic measures in the publicly adopted roads and parking areas.  

"The purpose of carrying out the community engagement is to allow the council to draft a scheme which is supported by the community prior to carrying out a statutory consultation associated with a Traffic Regulation Order or introduction of Traffic Calming measures."

John says he would like to see measures taken to stop non-residents coming into the area to park but is concerned residents will be forced to pay for a permit. 

He said: "I’m not against measure to reduce people coming into the Gorbals and using it as a car park because ever since the LEZ it’s gotten worse here and I don’t have any qualms with traffic calming measures.  

"At night time, they use Caledonia Road as a speedway track, they buzz up and down it, so I’m not adverse to the council taking action on that. 

"But if they imposed parking restrictions in the Gorbals they would have to make sure we got parking permits we didn’t pay for.  

The 58-year-old continued: "I don’t know yet if they’re planned any charges for a parking permit but everywhere else that this has been imposed on people have to pay for permits. 

"People are concerned, particularly when finances are constrained."

A council spokesperson highlighted that no detailed proposals have been developed.  

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John says he has discussed the proposals and the possibility of paying for parking permits with some other residents via the Facebook group The Only Way is Gorbals and says many others are also against it.  

One person wrote: "The last thing people need is more costs to park in their own area.  

"People are struggling as it is. 

"Oppose oppose oppose."

Another said: "I object to this, it’s bad enough parking for residents especially with no parking at [the] health centre and when anything is on in the Green.  

"I live next to [a] school and nursey and our parking spaces are taken up with teachers and parents."

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: "Parking issues in Gorbals and Hutchesontown have been raised with us regularly in recent years.

"When we receive repeated complaints about parking in an area, we investigate the support for the introduction of controls that help to manage parking in the affected community.

"At this stage we are engaging with the Gorbals and Hutchesontown community to get their views about parking in the area. No detailed proposals have been developed at this stage.

"Residents are being asked to complete a short survey that asks for views about parking in the area, whether measures should be brought in to manage parking issues, what measures might be brought in and the road safety concerns may have.

"The survey asks if respondents would support or oppose measures such as permits and pay and display bays, additional waiting and loading restrictions, the installation of EV charging points/bays and introduction of Car Club bays.

"The return from the survey will help to shape any detailed proposals that would require full public consultation through the traffic regulation order process before they could be implemented.

"Where parking problems arise then it is council policy that priority for parking spaces should be given to residents over commuters.

"While no detailed proposals for Gorbals and Hutchesontown have been developed at this stage, parking controls in other previously affected areas have provided significant benefits to other communities in the past.

"Parking zones reduce commuter parking, increase the availability of residents’ parking, improve road safety and make access to previously congested streets much easier for emergency and cleansing services vehicles.

"In all such schemes the revenue raised from parking meters and the charges for permits goes towards the costs of running these parking schemes."