Invitation to Pay scheme for seven Caithness car parks
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SEVEN car parks in Caithness are to be involved in an Invitation to Pay scheme, members of Castletown Community Council have been told.
The introduction of the fees will apply at Dunnet Head, Dunnet Seadrift, Duncansby Head, Reiss beach and three sites in Wick – Wick Camps, Wick Riverside and Noss Head. Ticket machines will be installed in each place along with signs.
According to Highland Council, the aim is to use the money raised to improve car park management and raise revenue for "infrastructure investment from visitors without impacting on local users."
The charges will be £1 for up to two hours; £2 for up to four hours; £3 for up 12 hours and £5 for up to 24 hours. The fee for motor homes will be £10 for up to 24 hours.
The local authority approved a £1.5million Visitor Management Strategy in March in response to the increased numbers of tourists visiting the Highlands. It recognised the need to invest in infrastructure and council services to improve the visitor experience, and to address some of the issues arising from over-crowding in popular hotspots, including insufficient parking areas, bad/inconsiderate parking and damage to roadside verges.
The extension of the scheme follows a successful trial in other area, including Inverness and Nairn, it was stated.
A letter to Castletown and District Community Council said: "This is basically a donation based scheme for parking in designated council controlled car parks. This model has been followed by Forestry and Land Scotland for many years and sees compliance rates of between 60 and 80 per cent when customers are invited to pay to park when visiting.
"We delivered an early scheme from June 2021 in Nairn at three visitor related car parks and have seen early compliance rates in excess of 50 per cent, raising £26,000 from three car parks in four months.
"If the land under control of use is part of the common good asset base 50 per cent of the income raised will be paid directly to the relevant Common Good Fund. The remaining money will be used by the service to cover costs and wider investment in infrastructure and resources."
It added: "In light of recent impacts of the staycation boom we are seeking to introduce a trial scheme of designated bays within council car parks that motor homes may use. We will not be generally providing any specific facilities.
"Stays will be limited to 24 hours maximum in any 72 hour period. A fee of £10 will be levied."
Castletown community council secretary, Liz Geddes, said the scheme would not affect car parks in the village area and stressed it is an invitation to pay.
"The money raised will be used for infrastructure improvements and will not impact on local users. The nearest ones to us are in Dunnet," she said.
