'Our car parking is being taken from outside our house but we own the land'
A group of residents have been left furious as the private car parking spaces outside their homes are set to be taken away from them.
Several people in Springfield estate, Edinburgh, have been told the council has adopted the road and plan to make them permitted. As a result some residents have been told they are set to lose their parking spaces, including Maureen and Jimmy Stewart, who have lived on the estate for 39 years.
Retired Maureen, 73, says they will keep fighting to keep their private spaces as the private parking space was included in the sale of the house.
The residents are set to lose their parking spacesShe told Edinburgh Live: “We have the original parking plans and deeds, it's clearly our space.
"They are private spaces and it's just those six of the whole estate going as the council has adopted the road. We have been told by so many people that they can't do it, even one of the surveyors who worked on the initial development.
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"The whole thing is actually quite upsetting to be honest as we have spent so much time reaching out to different people.
"Men from the council came on Friday to start sorting out signs for permit parking and we saw them and went out to tell them the spaces are private and ours. One of the men said he was going to contact his boss but we haven't heard anything.
"We recently paid to have metal poles put up at each of our spaces after we were told they would still be ours, others have done the same in the estate. One of our neighbours is a teacher and only just moved in, she will probably move on if she has her space taken away as she relies on her car for work.
“We bought the parking space with the house, which is obviously a selling point. You can't just turn around 39 years later and take it away."
It is understood the road in question was adopted by the council some time ago, with officials saying this was not for parking changes but done upon request from the developer.
Although the residents each own their space, when adopted, they have no say on how it is used.
Ian Dick, 73, added: “There is a sign outside saying 'private parking', we never put that up. It has been made clear that those spaces are ours.”
As part of the rollout of the controlled parking zones on the outskirts of the city centre, Springfield estate is part of Zone seven. In this case, if the spaces became permit only, depending on how big an engine Maureen and Jimmy's car has, it could cost between £41-£398 for a 12-month permit.
The permit parking time will also run from Monday-Friday, 8.30am-5.30pm in which time permit parking restrictions will apply.
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said new parking restrictions are aimed at helping local residents. He added: “The new parking restrictions being introduced to some streets in Leith aim to address issues like commuter parking, which people across the city have told us is a problem in their neighbourhoods.
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“In areas such as Springfield, where the developer has asked the council to adopt parts of the roads into the public network, the council, as roads authority, is responsible for its management. Officers have spoken to residents in this area on a number of occasions to inform them of the changes coming into force, and to help them to prepare. Changes will only be made to the legally adopted road.
“Ultimately, these parking controls help to maintain priority for local residents, while also protecting against problem parking, encouraging alternative modes of transport and improving the safety and efficiency of the city’s streets. Once in place, officers will be monitoring the impact of the changes to ensure they work for the community.”
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