Initial Response from Thornwood Community Council

At the December meeting of Thornwood Community Council we discussed the proposed RPZ.

We recognise that in the community there are mixed views about the proposals. Some are vehemently opposed to the proposals, others largely in favour. However, even if someone is in favour it doesn’t mean they are in favour of every aspect of the proposals. A very particular concern that was raised is the proposal to have the restrictions apply in Thornwood 0800-2200hrs, 7 days a week. No one at the meeting spoke in favour of this.

A representative of the church that hosts the CC meetings gave a powerful account of the likely negative effects of the RPZ. If charges are applied as currently proposed, well over 90% of the congregation would have to pay £5 three times a week to attend the morning, evening and mid-week meetings. That would be £780 each just to continue attending church. Churches of all persuasions provide a valuable support network to the elderly and lonely. Imposing this kind of burden on congregations fails to recognise this.

In addition to the above, the charges would penalise those visiting elderly relatives and caring for other lonely and isolated members of the community. It will also have a negative impact on the social lives of those living in Thornwood who have friends and family visit in the evening or at weekends.

There was a strong feeling that, if there were to be charges, they should not apply on Sunday or after 6pm.

It was noted that there has been an attempt to introduce standardized restrictions across the City but nobody, including the elected representatives who were in attendance, was able to say what the current situation is with regard to this. As a Community Council we strongly believe that any imposition on the community, irrespective of what happens elsewhere, should be clearly for the benefit of the community. It would be wrong to assume that what may be appropriate in Hillhead, Woodlands, Woodside or Garnethill will also be appropriate in Thornwood, which is mainly a residential area.

For Thornwood, the rationale given for introducing the RPZ is given as “Parking controls are necessary to prevent indiscriminate parking, commuter parking and parked vehicles causing obstructions.” Once bays are in place, the only one of these that would be addressed by charging would be commuter parking. Since there is no evidence given that commuter parking is a problem in Thornwood after 6pm or on Sundays it follows that there is no rationale for introducing charging at these times.

We recognise that, inevitably, there are both advantages and disadvantages in having an RPZ. In order to mitigate the downsides without affecting the stated intention of limiting commuter parking, we propose that the first 90 minutes of parking be free. Supermarkets manage this in their car parks so it should be possible for GCC to implement a similar system. Where there is a will to do it, a way can be found. This proposal will enable the sick, lonely and housebound to continue to receive visits without there being financial penalties; people living in Thornwood can continue to have family and friends to visit without being charged; and local businesses are less likely to lose their customers. All of this without affecting the stated aim of limiting commuter parking.

We are also concerned about the possible impact, now and in the future, on our local school. Although there is a limited amount of on-site car parking, some of this will need to be kept free for essential visitors to the school.  We request that the school is issued with enough permits to ensure that all staff at the school can park without charge. It is unacceptable that a teacher in Thornwood would have to pay up to £1000 a year to teach our children when those in, say Knightswood and elsewhere, do not. This will have a clear impact on future recruitment. Depending on where the teachers live, switching to public transport is not necessarily a viable option.