THE chairwoman of Dunbar Community Council has called for plans for a new car park to be put aside until other changes are made in the town.

East Lothian Council is exploring the idea of creating a 25-space car park at the Coastguard site between Woodbush and Church Street.

A public exhibition earlier this month highlighted the plans, also detailing the possibility of extending the car park at the town’s railway station and changing the Abbeylands car park from long stay to short stay.

Pippa Swan, chairwoman of the community council, urged the local authority to look at the car parks at the railway station and Abbeylands before moving ahead with a new car park.

Mrs Swan said: “The station car park is absolutely paramount.

“We need to think of how we are moving around our communities if we are going to address climate change.

“I was aware of the conversation of the idea of bike shelters and safe routes to the station, particularly to the southern platform (see story above).

“Currently, it is 20 bike racks and there is an argument it should be 100 bike spaces in a dedicated shelter.

“If it is still felt there is a need for parking for visitors then that should be subject to another full study, at which point all the possible sites should be considered.”

Concerns had also been expressed about how people with mobility issues, or buggies or prams, would be able to get from the car park, linked to Church Street by a metal staircase, to the town centre.

The exhibition in Dunbar Town House allowed people to see the town’s parking situation.

Across three sites – The Abbeylands, Dunbar Railway Station and The Vennel – there are 114 long-stay spaces, with a further 85 short-stay spaces on High Street.

If the proposals went ahead, Abbeylands car park, which has 34 long-stay spaces, would become a car park where people were allowed to park for only 90 minutes.

However, with the introduction of the car park at the Coastguard site, there would still be an increase in long-stay spaces, taking the total to 123, with a further 119 short-stay spaces.

Further discussions would need to take place between East Lothian Council and Network Rail before any increase in parking at the town’s railway station could be given the green light.