FRESH public consultation on North Berwick’s parking problems has opened – with three sites mooted for new car parks.

Insufficient parking is, as residents know only too well, a huge problem in the town, with the council commissioning a study from MVA Consultancy in 2011 to appraise potential sites for additional parking, looking at a number of locations and solutions.

Following detailed parking surveys, public meetings and earlier consultation, 10 locations throughout the town were identified and assessed for their impact on the environment, economy, safety, and for their accessibility.

These 10 locations were whittled down to four proposals.

However, this latest public consultation only includes three after the option for a long-stay car park at Recreation Park with 107 spaces was amended and saw the delivery of 65 spaces on that site in June.

The three sites within the town that have been identified for possible additional off-street parking are: The Upper Glebe; St Margaret’s Road; and Tantallon Terrace, also known as Coo’s Green.

The town suffers from significant vehicle congestion during the summer months, with parking spaces at a premium.

Those completing the survey have five options to convey their feelings on each site, ranging from strong agreement to strong disagreement.

The Tantallon Terrace site – designated as seasonal parking, to serve only as overflow to cater for the extra influx of visitors during busy times – would be constructed using a ground reinforcement grid, allowing grass to grow, but has proven controversial.

In April last year, residents of Tantallon Terrace, Marine Parade and other North Berwick streets formed ‘Friends of Coo’s Green’ to oppose the plans for that specific site; a petition by the group gathered hundreds of signatures from all over the world.

The study found that the new sites would unlikely provide a long-term solution to the parking problems in the town, with other measures also being looked at.

Councillor Jim Goodfellow, North Berwick Coastal ward, told North Berwick Community Council on Tuesday: “What I would encourage is that everyone in North Berwick does get involved in this because there definitely is some very divided opinions as my email inbox suggests.” Respondents will also be quizzed on their views on time limits for parking, the introduction of a taxi rank, and seasonal street parking restrictions. Also, respondents will be asked about upgrading or increasing in size the car parks on Marine Parade and Haugh Road.

Consultation is open until May 5 and will help to inform the development of a parking strategy and amended Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) for the town. Feedback will be analysed and the council will receive a report, from which it will produce a draft TRO.

A further round of consultation will then take place.

The survey is available from local libraries or at www.survey monkey.com/s/NBparking