PLANS to ban parking on a scenic coastal road have been condemned, amid claims the problem was created by the local authority itself.

At a meeting of Cockenzie and Port Seton Community Council, chairperson Bryan Hickman hit out at proposals by East Lothian Council to put yellow lines on the outskirts of the community.

And he said that problem parking on the coast road, near Seton Sands Holiday Village, had only become an issue after the local authority introduced charging at coastal car parks.

He said: “The council have created the problem by charging, it was not a problem when the car parks were free.

“Now, in order to solve the problem they have created, they are going to throw more money at how to stop people parking on the road.”

The proposals are part of a land management review currently under consultation which looks at ways to deal with the increase in visitors to East Lothian in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Among suggestions are the introduction of no-parking restrictions to the east of Cockenzie and Port Seton, heading out towards the holiday park.

However, during an extraordinary meeting of the community council, called to discuss parking and speeding issues in the community, there was concern over the proposals.

Members pointed out that people parking to visit the beach also spent money in the local shops and the introduction of more “unsightly” yellow lines on the scenic route were criticised.

East Lothian Council introduced parking charges at its coastal car parks six years ago; however, at the virtual meeting, Councillor Neil Gilbert, ward member, said that the scheme had still not “wiped its face” when it came to income generated by the daily £2 charge.

He said the scheme cost more than £1million to introduce but the meeting was told in its first 42 months of operation it had brought in £544,000.

Mr Gilbert said: “The most disappointing thing about the car parks is we don’t let East Lothian residents park there free in the winter months.

“We charge the same in December and January as we do in summer, which is not fair.”

A review of the coastal car parking scheme last year revealed that fewer than one in five vehicles using them actually paid for a ticket.