Wednesday March 18th 2026
Newly introduced parking meter on Norther Berwick High Street taken
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
A comprehensive new survey of 247 business owners across Dunbar, Haddington, Musselburgh, North Berwick, and Tranent reveals overwhelming opposition to East Lothian Council’s proposed parking charges.
The findings deliver a stark warning to local authorities: the introduction of these charges threatens to devastate local high streets, with many businesses warning it could ‘kill trade in the town centre’ and potentially ‘crash the High Street’.
The survey, conducted between February and March 2026, was catalysed by ‘deep frustration over the local authority’s heavy reliance on urban-focused research from major cities’ like London, Toronto, and Berlin—data that local traders and residents argue ‘has no real-world relevance to rural East Lothian communities’.
Key Findings from the East Lothian Business Survey Include:
– Existential Threat to High Streets: 85% of respondents expect the charges to negatively affect their business, with 78% stating they are “somewhat” or “very concerned” about their long-term viability if the proposals go ahead.
– Driving Customers Away: 76% of businesses anticipate a drop in customer numbers, and 49% expect a direct shift of trade to out-of-town retailers offering free parking.
– Drastic Operational Cuts: To survive the expected downturn, nearly half (48%) of the surveyed businesses indicated they would consider relocating away from the town centre, while 42% warned they may be forced to reduce staff.
– A Solution Looking for a Problem: 64% of business owners reported that there are currently either no parking issues in their town or only minor issues that could be easily resolved through the proper enforcement of existing parking controls, rather than introducing new charges.
– Lack of Viable Alternatives: Highlighting the “transport desert” in the region, 72% of respondents noted that local bus services are limited, making it incredibly difficult for staff and customers to travel without a car. Consequently, 80% of businesses believe older customers will be the most severely impacted by the charges, followed by families and local regulars.
The survey also ‘dismantled’ the argument that short “free parking” windows will protect trade.
It highlighted that one-third of businesses estimate their customers spend over an hour at their premises for socialising, dining, or appointments. Even among retail businesses, a 45-minute free parking window is deemed insufficient, as it does not allow time for the browsing that drives spontaneous local purchases.
Infographic made from survey, showing people's responses (credit: East Lothian Business Survey)
Throughout the survey’s 121 additional comments, business owners expressed feelings of being ignored by the Council and raised concerns about “scandalous” hypocrisy regarding Council employees receiving free parking.
“We feel there should be more appreciation that East Lothian high streets have something special in the form of independent and community-owned shops,” wrote one respondent. “We’ve so far avoided the bleakness of being coastal towns with dead high streets… but we can’t take this for granted. It needs coddling and careful policies”.
At the beginning of last month we visited North Berwick to speak to local businesses who are concerned on how the charges may effect their high street.
One business owner Moya Anderson, who co-owns Anderson’s Quality Butchers on the high street explained that there is a sense of nervousness in her business, worried that the parking could heavily affect footfall.
She explained: “We are all a little nervous about it because the public perception is that it’s going to close the high street and all businesses are going to close causing a complete disaster.
“I want to be more optimistic and hope that the council is correct but it’s like bashing your head against a brick wall, the council doesn’t want to know.
“We have taken part in consultations for the last 10 years and the feedback has been largely ignored. We have taken part in a petition that went to John Muir House that was also ignored, we have written to our councillors, we have spoken to our MSPs. The local Labour Councillor isn’t a car driver, she doesn’t have an issue.”
Describing the situation as ‘quite depressing’, Moya explained that she and her staff are not local and so far attempting to get a parking permit hasn’t been possible, causing fear of what will happen to their essential transport vans that currently park at the back of the shop.
Another business owner, Bev Gilhooley who owns pet shop Barker and Bone, said that she believes it could ‘quite literally crash the high street in a couple years’, explaining that since Covid running a business has become more and more challenging.
“It’s getting harder and harder to actually turn a profit”, she explained, “It couldn’t be worse timing because since Covid, all the prices keep going up and up and the profit margins, especially in the pet industry, have got smaller and smaller.
“The biggest problem is that North Berwick is a heavily residential area, so they’ve tried to carve it all up into permit holders only and then given all the meters 90 minutes. The reason it’s such a successful high street, which is unheard of nowadays, is because we get so many day trippers from as far as Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh and even the outlying villages. If you think you’re going to travel all that way on a Sunday and get 90 minutes, why would you bother.”
The business community is urgently calling on East Lothian Council to ‘abandon the proposed charges, adequately enforce existing time limits, and protect the vibrant, independent economies of the county’s high streets’.
To read what the Federation of Small Businesses has to say on the effect the restrictions may have on North Berwick businesses, click here.
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