Issue - meetings

By Councillor Hyslop - Safer Parks

“Council:

Believes that our parks should be safe public spaces for all to enjoy, and that the presence of cars and large vehicles is not consistent with that.

Notes that Council waste teams often have cause to drive through parks with larger vehicles.

Notes that many of Edinburgh’s Parks have vehicle access points that are not locked by the Council.

Believes that the safety of park users should be of upmost importance.

Notes instances across the city where park users and Friends of Parks groups have reported private cars driving along paths and green space through parks.

Requests that the Council produce a report which outlines current vehicular access into all of the City’s parks and examines how best to prevent vehicular access to each of these spaces. This report should also include detail on the cost and feasibility of implementing the following:

1)         all park gates being padlocked where possible:

2)         collapsible bollards installed where necessary, accessible only by Council vehicles and agreed third parties; and

3)         the use of Council vehicles over 1.3 tonnes within parks being prohibited and replaced by a fleet of light-weight electric vehicles for use within parks across the city.

Furthermore, requests that the council produces a report outlining existing powers and a strategy for enforcement which can used to prevent and penalise unauthorised parking in public parks.”