An attempt to introduce free parking at all Moray Council car parks in Elgin is to be made this week by two local councillors.
In a special motion to be put to the meeting of the Full Council on Thursday, Tory councillors Douglas Ross and James Allan are to table a motion calling for the extension of an already agreed plan to provide free parking from 3pm daily at the Batchen Lane multi-storey car park for six months.
The experiment was agreed by the economic development and infrastructure committee who were responding to a request by Elgin BID to emulate a similar scheme that has operated successfully in Falkirk.
However, Councillor Ross had sought to increase the scope of the plan but failed to receive any support in the committee.
The motion before all councillors “Notes that council officers have calculated the total cost of extending this scheme to a further 11 car parks would result in a loss of income and costs £35,540, while completing the trial in Batchen Lane alone would cost £5105. Total income from car parks last year was £547,348.”
The motion calls for the Batchen Lane trial to be extended with Councillor Ross commenting after the original decision: “I don’t believe this will have a huge financial impact as people who work in Elgin and have to pay their parking fee will have already done so by 3pm.
“We are simply looking to make it easier for people to stop and shop locally after work or after picking their kids up at school.”