Say No to ELC Traffic Plans

16/06/2026

Yesterday East Lothian Council essentially gaslit the local residents of North Berwick, telling them that, in effect, their complaining about the parking charge regime being imposed would do harm to the town's economic prospects.

This does not come without a massive dose of irony given that it is precisely the ongoing actions of this same Council that has directly caused local objections at every stage and with significant evidence that it was an approach that the community affected did not want. This is echoed in other county towns that are next in line for similar treatment.

To now slap the wrists of the local community for trying to protect their high street and seek a better solution working with rather than against local Council bureaucracy, very much feels like an authority seeking to position itself in anticipation that when the numbers start to come in, should they show significant negative impact on footfall and the demise of local high street shops, they have their arguments lined up... It was not us. It was the community's own fault for not being quiet and doing as they were told.

What do you think? Should local people never complain and highlight concerns about local authority policy for fear that when it all goes wrong that same authority turns around and seeks to blame local communities for their failures? https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1463291942508764&id=100064839161621&mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=GO92OMvl31ZURrds

East Lothian Council's chief executive has written to local traders offering support and raising concerns that social media comments could be detrimental to the reputation of North Berwick - https://ebx.sh/hURz0Z

09/06/2026

EAST LOTHIAN COUNCIL ADMITS NORTH BERWICK PARKING REVIEW WAS NOT PLANNED BEFORE CHARGES INTRODUCED

Calls grow for parking charges to be paused after Council confirms that the review timeline, methodology and success criteria have still not been agreed despite a requirement by Councillors.

East Lothian Council has admitted that key elements of the promised 12-month review of North Berwick’s controversial parking scheme were not established before parking charges were introduced.

In response to a detailed Freedom of Information request, the Council confirmed to John Wellwood (North Berwick Community Councillor) - "East Lothian Council (ELC) can confirm that the timeline and the final criteria for the review has not yet been set. This will be done at the time of the review itself." It then clarifies that:

* the timeline for the review “has not yet been set”;
* the final criteria for the review “has not yet been set”;
* these decisions will be made “at the time of the review itself”;
* the detailed datasets are “still being developed”;
* the methodology is “still being developed”;
* the budget allocation is “still being developed”;
* the success criteria are “still being developed”; and
* “no final decisions have been taken” regarding publication or reporting arrangements.

The Council stated that the information requested was “not held”, despite councillors having approved the parking scheme on the explicit understanding that a credible review would be undertaken after 12 months.

These admissions raise serious questions about the planning, governance and professional competence surrounding the introduction of the scheme.

No professionally managed project would normally be implemented before its objectives, baseline evidence, success criteria, data requirements and evaluation methodology had been clearly defined.

A credible review should be designed before implementation. It should establish in advance:

* what success and failure mean;
* what evidence will be collected;
* what baseline will be used;
* how the effects of the scheme will be separated from seasonal or wider economic changes;
* how impacts on residents, businesses and visitors will be measured;
* how the effects on disabled and low-income residents will be assessed;
* and how the evidence will determine whether the scheme is continued, changed or removed.

Instead, East Lothian Council has introduced parking charges and is set to begin collecting money before deciding how the scheme will be evaluated.

The language used in the Council’s response is particularly concerning. The Council repeatedly says that the review is “anticipated” or “expected” to consider certain issues and that available information “may include” particular measures.
This is not a defined review plan. It is a statement of possible future intentions.

The Council cannot credibly promise an objective review while deciding the success criteria and methodology after the scheme has already begun operating. Developing these measures retrospectively creates a clear risk that the review could be designed around the available results rather than objectively testing the original claims made for the scheme.

It may also now be impossible to conduct a proper before-and-after assessment. Baseline data that was not collected before implementation cannot simply be recreated later.

John Wellwood who opposes the charges said:

“This response demonstrates an extraordinary combination of arrogance and incompetence. The arrogance lies in imposing charges on residents and visitors before deciding how success will be measured. The incompetence lies in failing to undertake the basic planning required for the review councillors were promised.”

“Councillors voted for this scheme on the basis that there would be a credible 12-month review. The Council has now admitted that the timeline, methodology, datasets, budget and success criteria are still being developed.”

“No professional project would be run in this way. You do not implement a major policy first and then decide afterwards how you are going to measure whether it worked.”

The Council’s response leaves it unable to demonstrate that it can fulfil the requirement placed upon it by councillors when the parking scheme was approved.

Parking charges should therefore be paused immediately until East Lothian Council can publish:

* clear terms of reference;
* a complete review timetable;
* predetermined success and failure criteria;
reliable baseline data;
* a robust evaluation methodology;
* details of independent scrutiny and quality assurance;
arrangements for assessing business, equality and socio-economic impacts;
* and clear reporting and publication arrangements.

John Wellwood added, “Councillors must now decide whether they are prepared to accept that the commitment upon which they approved the scheme cannot currently be upheld.”

“They should demand an immediate pause in parking charges until the Council can demonstrate that a credible, independent and transparent review is still possible.”

“Continuing to impose charges while designing the review afterwards would amount to the Council marking its own homework after it has already seen the answers.”

05/06/2026

Councillors are set to debate whether to pause parking charges next week...

08/03/2026

Our town was named the best place to live. It's about to be ruined

Residents of North Berwick, along the coast from Edinburgh, fear the introduction of parking charges will wreck their thriving high street

For 30 years, Meg Maitland successfully ran two branches of her eponymous ladies' clothing boutique in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Within six months of the introduction of parking charges in England's northernmost town she had lost a third of her business and had to close down one of the shops.

She is worried that the same is about to happen again.

Another of her shops in North Berwick, the Scottish seaside town where she lives, which was The Sunday Times Best Place to Live in 2024, is now under threat from the same issue.

On Monday March 16, East Lothian Council will introduce parking charges for the first time in North Berwick and other nearby towns, including Dunbar and Haddington, in a move which locals say will decimate the high street and their way of life.

Maitland, 69, who has lived in North Berwick for 20 years, said: "The town is so vibrant because we've got this high street with a huge variety of shops. The butcher, the baker, the grocer... it's like high streets used to be in the old days.

"It's so vibrant because we have free parking. In Berwick-upon-Tweed when the ease of parking was taken away people just disappeared off to the retail parks out of town. I'm totally, totally against parking charges in North Berwick."

The cheese shop, Whynot?, the independent bookshop, The Pennyfarthing, Time and Tide gift shop, Rock and Bird art supplies and Bostock Bakery on the high street are in contrast to the v**e shops, gambling outlets and empty premises which blight many others around Britain.

Drivers will be allowed up to 45 minutes free parking on the high street, then up to 75 minutes for £l, and £2 for a maximum stay of 90 minutes.

In two other on-street parking zones, parking will cost 50p for 30 minutes. Parking charges have also been introduced at car parks in the town, as have resident and day visitor permits.

Norman Hampshire, leader of East Lothian Council, said: "These measures are designed to address local challenges such as a lack of parking spaces during busy periods. By increasing the turnover of spaces, we aim to make it easier for people to access businesses and amenities and hope to see greater footfall."

Members of North Berwick Community Council deny a proper consultation process has taken place. Nearly 5,000 people, which is over half the town's population, signed a petition against the suggested parking charges. The petition was thrown out by the council citing "procedural issues".

"I'm not aware of anybody in the town who is in favour of the scheme as it currently stands," said Kenny Miller, 70, chairman of the community council, set up to represent local interests to East Lothian council. "It's the way it's been done. There's been no consultation. The process has been so poor."

The council said the vandalism would not prevent the implementation of the scheme but the cost of the damage exceeded £38,000 and this would be taken from budgets for vital public services.

In November it was revealed via a freedom of information request that over £825,000 had been spent by East Lothian Council on the scheme. John Wellwood, of the community council, said a further request he made revealed an additional £275,000 had been spent on parking meters and signs before installation costs were taken into account.

"It's a shame. I don't condone vandalism," Jeff Knight, 65, a resident and, fittingly, a former chartered transport planner who has lived in North Berwick for 25 years, said. "But there is a lot of fatigue now.

"There's been petitions with thousands of signatures and yet the council seem to press on so the community is quite angry and frustrated. In terms of democracy we don't know what options we have left."

21/02/2026

https://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/25862880.survey-gather-views-businesses-parking-charges/

To complete the survey, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Y6CF29B

TRADERS throughout East Lothian are being asked about “the potential impact” of parking charges on their business.