Mull and Iona parking charges victory

Argyll and Bute Council has changed its plans to introduce a parking charge at harbours on Mull. After Govan Law Centre had threatened to raise a civil action at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

The council’s plans would have seen parking charges, possibly, of up to £9 a day being imposed at Craignure, Fionnphort and Tobermory too.

Govan Law Centre has been working with community representatives to argue that the council had failed to properly consult before pushing ahead with a traffic regulation order (TRO), which would have allowed the charges to be brought in.

Argyle’s and Bute Council have now backed down and “apologised unreservedly to the people of Mull and Iona for a flawed exercise”

Mike Dailly, solicitor advocate at Govan Law Centre said: “This is a great outcome for residents and businesses of Mull and Iona. We hope the council and residents can sit down and agree arrangements that work for the residents, businesses and visitors of Mull and Iona. We had said all along that we thought the council had not followed the law, and its nice to get a positive result for communities involved. We respect the council for holding its hands up and saying sorry. Hopefully they can rebuild trust with the community.”

A report will go to next week’s Oban, Lorn and the Isles (OLI) Area Committee recommending that the disputed traffic regulation order (TRO) which imposed the charge be revoked, and also that ways are identified of improving the council’s engagement with communities around similar issues. The report will be published on the council’s website, along with other reports for consideration by the OLI Committee.

Read more on the BBC Website and The Herald – You can also read Argyll and Bute Council’s full statement here: Council’s Chief Executive says sorry to Mull and Iona

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