Could new church car park finally solve years of parking problems in St Cyrus?

Villagers fed up with years of parking problems could in St Cyrus could soon have their prayers answered.

St Cyrus Church has been given the go-ahead to create a much-needed car park, which is hoped to have knock-on benefits across the Mearns community.

The congregation applied to Aberdeenshire Council in a bid to create the facility on a vacant piece of land opposite the church and primary school.

They argued the area was needed to prevent “hazardous” parking that could sometimes lead to emergency services being unable to attend incidents.

The church also said the car park was needed to address “significant” traffic issues that crop up when it hosts large services.

Meanwhile, the area could accommodate visitors heading for a day out at its famous beach.

And parents of the local primary school would benefit from it while dropping off or collecting children, preventing congestion on the surrounding narrow roads.

The new car park will have 51 standard spaces along with three disabled bays and five drop-off spaces.

Access to the facility will be formed on the corner of Cliff Place and Beach Road.

What did residents think about the St Cyrus proposal?

The proposal proved to be extremely popular within the community as 117 letters of support were submitted to the council.

However 22 objections were also received.

Those in support of the car park said it would be “hugely beneficial” to the village while others said it was “long overdue”.

However, those who opposed the plan believed it would have a negative impact on hedgehogs and other biodiversity in the area.

They also said the facility would encourage the use of cars instead of promoting walking and cycling.

St Cyrus Community Council gave the proposal its support, saying it was a “much-needed project” for the village.

Council planners also backed the proposal as they claimed it would address significant parking issues in St Cyrus and reduce congestion on the local road network.

Car park would be a ‘considerable benefit’ to St Cyrus

The application went before the Kincardine and Mearns area committee this week.

Speaking on behalf of the church, Dr Marshall Halliday said the car park would be a “considerable benefit” to the community.

He explained: “The community is still expanding and this will have a knock-on effect on school attendance, and new tourist developments have been noticed in the last few years.”

Dr Halliday told members the car park would be managed by the church, noting he was “quite confident” they had the expertise within the congregation to do so.

What did councillors have to say about the plan?

Mearns councillor George Carr spoke out in support of the proposal as he is aware parking has been an issue in St Cyrus for a number of years.

He explained: “There is the beach, school and church, and there is always a concern in that area about congestion and how we could resolve that.

“I think this provides a solution to take this forward.”

Stonehaven and Lower Deeside councillor Sarah Dickinson also backed the plan.

The application was then unanimously approved by the committee.