A petition has been launched in a bid to stop parking charges being introduced in Kirkcudbright.
Shopkeepers are worried that the council’s proposed new regional parking strategy could see people have to pay to park in the town.
A similar campaign against the idea in Castle Douglas attracted more than 3,000 signatures and now people in Kirkcudbright can have their say.
The town’s Chamber of Commerce chairwoman, Margaret King, said: “Retailers are not happy at all.
“Kirkcudbright relies on tourism and we all think that would have a very detrimental effect on business.
“Furthermore, we have a large older population so need access to the shops and post offices.
“We have wide streets and people can come into the town, park, go for a look around, go to the shops, go for a coffee and know they don’t need to be back at their car so they’ll stay for the rest of the day.
“The locals would hate it if they had to pay.
“Who wants the messiness of Dumfries where you have to put a disc in your
car?
“It still has to be policed, it’s still going to cost wages.”
As well as being available to be signed in a number of Kirkcudbright shops and businesses, the petition can be signed online at www.change.org/p/petition-to-stop-parking-charges-coming-to-kirkcudbright
The council has held a series of community consultations on the proposal, with the last in-person one taking place in Kirkcudbright earlier this month.
A report is due to go before the communities committee early in the year, including outcomes from the consultation and a draft of the new
strategy.
For further details of the consultation, visit https://dumgal.gov.uk/article/26982/Consultation-New-Regional-Parking-Strategy-for-Dumfries-and-Galloway
