Hopelands Parking Bays Update

Please see the latest update from Councillor Lee:

Dear Residents,

I’m sorry to say that, after many years of pushing, prodding, meeting, re‑meeting, and occasionally muttering under my breath, we have run into major obstacles with the planned parking bays in Hopelands.

You may recall from my last update that we were waiting for confirmation from several utility companies about the service ducts running beneath the proposed bay locations. Well, the verdict is in — and it’s not the one we hoped for.

The utility companies have confirmed that significant service ducts and heavy‑duty cables run directly under the areas earmarked for the new bays. Moving them would cost many thousands of pounds. The Council will challenge these figures, but even if the estimates were miraculously halved, it would still be extremely difficult to persuade DBC to approve such spending.

In short, the chances of progressing with the parking bays in the planned location are now, regrettably, next to nil.

It seems we are back to square one — or perhaps square one‑and‑a‑half, given how long we’ve been at this. I will now be asking DBC to revisit the originally proposed area on the right‑hand side as you drive into Hopelands from Highside Road. Yes, the very area we started with.

I will keep pressing for a workable solution and will update you as soon as I have further information.

Thank you for your patience, your good humour, and your endurance — qualities clearly required for any parking‑related project in Hopelands but qualities we all need......

Cllr Gerald Lee