RPZ Meeting Report

Broomhill & Thornwood - 19th February 2026

Meeting between: Glasgow City Council (GCC) Officers, Broomhill Community Council (BCC), Thornwood Community Council (TCC)
Location: Broomhill & Hyndland Parish Church, Broomhill
Date: 19 February 2026
Time: 10:30am – 12:15pm

Attendees


Purpose of the Meeting

The meeting was convened to discuss the proposed introduction of a Restricted Parking Zone (RPZ) covering Broomhill and Thornwood.

Questions from Broomhill Community Council and Thornwood Community Council had been submitted to Council officers in advance to allow researched responses during the session.


Key Points Discussed

Distinct Areas, Different Needs

It was agreed by all present that Broomhill and Thornwood are distinct areas with different characteristics and parking pressures. Officers acknowledged that the boundaries of the two areas could be considered separately in any review of the current proposal.

There was agreement in the room that Broomhill may not benefit from the RPZ as currently proposed, whereas concerns remain in parts of Thornwood.

Origin of the RPZ Proposal

Officers confirmed that the original RPZ proposal (referenced in a 2016 GCC committee report) was initiated following resident requests. However:

Officers stated that resident input is the sole source of information used to determine whether to progress an RPZ proposal. No independent data collection is undertaken to confirm whether a parking problem exists before proceeding.

Officers also conceded that there may be no commuter or non-resident parking issue in Broomhill.

Evidence Base and Measures of Success

Officers confirmed that:

A TCC representative highlighted that parking pressures in Thornwood are often most acute at night and expressed concern that an RPZ could increase evening stress due to reduced capacity.

Officers further confirmed:

In Partick, “before and after” photographs were referenced as evidence of reduced vehicle numbers, but no detailed data was available on residents’ ability to park closer to their homes.

Parking Capacity and Space Loss

TCC and BCC representatives highlighted figures from the Streetwise survey previously provided by GCC, indicating potential loss of:

Officers queried these figures and appeared unaware that capacity calculations had been included in the survey material. A summary printout was provided to officers for further review.

Discouraging Commuting and Car Use

Officers confirmed that one aim of the RPZ policy is to discourage commuter parking and reduce car use within the city.

Parking by individuals travelling from outwith the area to work locally is classified as commuter parking.

It was acknowledged that suitable public transport alternatives are not always available. Officers suggested that people could choose to work or live in another area if this was a problem.

Officers stated that it is ‘hoped’ increased demand would drive future transport investment. As GCC do not control public transport in Glasgow, this is not something GCC is yet in a position to guarantee.

Future Surveys

Officers outlined plans for additional surveys to determine the extent of commuter parking.

The proposed methodology includes hourly vehicle counts noting make, model and colour. Vehicles arriving around 8am and departing around 6pm would be assumed to represent commuter parking.

It was acknowledged that distinguishing commuter vehicles from resident vehicles remains challenging, though officers indicated that efforts are being made to improve understanding.

It was requested that data from the new surveys be made public, ideally through public presentations in the local area or at a minimum online through the likes of Teams (accessibility needs via computer access should be considered)

Officers suggested a parking workshop by which to gather current information on what the actual parking issues are within Broomhill and Thornwood. It is understood that no workshop has previously taken place. Should this go ahead the CC’s asked that there is representation from more than just Transport departments. Essential service providers (Social work and Education) along with wider representation of community views should be sought.

Obstructive Parking

There was consensus that obstructive corner parking is an issue, particularly in Thornwood.

However, there was not agreement that an RPZ is necessarily the most appropriate solution.

Officers confirmed that double yellow lines could be introduced at corners, subject to a suitable Traffic Regulation Order (TRO).

Boundaries and Enforcement

Officers confirmed that:

Community Engagement and Data Transparency

Officers stated that raw data from Community Engagement Surveys would not be shared with BCC or TCC, citing concerns that free-text comments may contain personally identifiable information.

When asked whether anonymised data could be shared without comment sections, officers declined. Instead, a summary report compiled by GCC officers will be provided. The format and level of detail of this report have not yet been specified. 

Officers acknowledged that the RPZ has been designed with a ‘toolkit’ that is 20 years old and that this needs to be updated. This includes the FAQs and reviewing the available permits. No timescale is currently available for when this will be undertaken.

In 2025 Parking Services gave updates to NRS committees regarding the publication of a Parking Strategy. As of November 2025 this was still under development. Officers did not know of a publication date at this time.

Commitment Regarding Progression

Officers made clear statements that:

This was presented as a firm commitment from the Council officers present.

Community Council Positions

Next Steps


This report is intended to provide a factual summary of discussions for public information.