Wednesday February 11th 2026
Installed parking meter on North Berwick High Street
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
With the East Lothian Council introducing parking measures in North Berwick that come into effect on Monday 16 March, many local businesses are worried about the effects the restrictions might have on footfall.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) explained that the introduction of charges looks ‘certain to be a serious blow to local businesses’ in the town, describing evidence from other Scottish towns where restrictions were introduced as a situation where ‘everyone loses’.
The soon to be introduced charges have caused both anger and concern in the East Lothian town with High Street businesses expressing their opposition to the charges through petitions and complaints due to the concern that the charges may severely reduce footfall and ‘crash the town’.
Speaking to the Midlothian View, FSB explained that the ongoing situation in North Berwick could have similar fate as other towns in Scotland that were majorly affected by parking charges.
Garry Clark, the Federation of Small Businesses’ development manager for East Scotland, said:
“Towns like North Berwick rely on a mix of local shoppers, people who travel from the surrounding country areas, and visitors to East Lothian. Many of these people rely on their cars due to limited public transport, so charges could simply drive people away at a time when the High Street needs support.
“Evidence from other towns across Scotland where such charges have been tried shows that parking fees reduce footfall, hurt independent shops, and often fail to raise the revenue that councils expect. Everyone loses.”
“Local businesses are also identifying other major problems, including rising costs for staff and access for commercial vehicles, neither of which seem to have been adequately addressed by the council.”
Alongside local businesses, the North Berwick Community Council have been fighting the parking measures in a battle which businesses in the area explained as a 10-year process.
Secretary for the North Berwick Community Council, John Wellwood, explained:
“North Berwick is crazy now around the parking charges as we try to get them overturned. We are looking to find an Advocate somewhere in Scotland who can help free of charge to file in the court of session a protective petition which is proving difficult. We now have vandalism of the installed meters etc.”
Despite the measures fully coming into place on 16 March, parking meters have been installed by the council throughout the town, with John explaining that many have already been subject to vandalism.
The area’s community council have taken legal action against the council’s measures despite the order now being in its post-approval phase, explaining that this means ‘the only remaining route to challenge it is through the Court of Session’.
The community council’s next step in fighting the restrictions consists of lodging a protective petition and if it is accepted by the Court, a fuller case is planned to be developed using ‘further evidence and expert input’. The community council would need to take action no later than 20 February to keep the option of legal challenge open.
The FSB are also in support of putting the plans on hold, explaining:
“The Federation of Small Businesses believes that the council should put its plans on hold and really listen to what local businesses are telling them.
“If the council genuinely wants to make it easier for people to use local businesses, then they need to respond positively to what these businesses are telling them. We should be encouraging people to visit our town centres — not giving them reasons to go elsewhere.”
Despite businesses and residents in heavy dispute of the charges, the parking management scheme was approved following a public consultation, with a spokesperson from the East Lothian Council explaining:
“Following significant public consultation and engagement, including with business owners, proposals to better manage North Berwick’s town centre parking were approved at a Council meeting in December 2024 and work is ongoing to deliver them.
“These measures are designed to address local challenges such as a lack of parking spaces during busy periods. By increasing the turnover of spaces, we aim to make it easier for people to access businesses and amenities and hope to see greater footfall as a result.
“In addition, the measures are intended to provide better parking enforcement and enhanced road safety while encouraging sustainable travel.”
Under the council’s Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), which was published on Monday 12 January, the measures will be legally applicable from 2 March although their enforcement will not commence until Monday 16 March. The council explained that this aims to allow a suitable period of time for permits to be purchased online.
The details of the permit system and application process is to be announced in the coming weeks.
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