Moray Council has opted not to reinstate a free parking scheme which brought thousands more people into the centre of the area’s biggest town last year.
An initiative where bays at Elgin’s Batchen Lane and St Giles Centre car parks were available for free from 3pm between June and January enticed nearly 10,500 more people than usual into the town.
But, councillors learned that scrapping the charges cost the financially struggling authority £17,000 in lost revenue.
And although businesses reported a general upswing in custom, they could not offer concrete figures linking that to the scheme.
When the authority’s economic development and infrastructure services committee met yesterday, members debated whether to reinstate the initiative for a further 12 months.
The council’s transportation manager, Nicola Moss, said: “The scheme was very popular and did have a material financial impact on businesses, but it’s difficult to identify any robust evidence of how it affected High Street trade.”
Speyside Glenlivet councillor Fiona Murdoch argued the programme should be abandoned because of the costs it inflicted on the authority.
She said: “I feel that Elgin’s problems are deeper and more complex than this, and the money should go to other things which could make the centre a more attractive place to visit.”
Council convener Allan Wright added: “I don’t think we can afford to continue with this, there’s a sizeable revenue loss.”
Elgin City South representatives John Divers and Graham Leadbitter urged members to reintroduce the programme this year.
Mr Divers said: “We know we had about 10,500 extra vehicles parking in Elgin after 3pm in that period.
“Businesses can’t give out confidential profit details, but we know there was an increase in money coming in.”
He accused Mr Wright and Ms Murdoch of using the lack of financial detail provided as a way of backing out of the venture.
However, Speyside Glenlivet member Pearl Paul proposed that the scheme be considered as part of a £60,000 project the local authority is embarking on to resolve Elgin’s parking problems.
She suggested any decision on the “free after three” programme be deferred until surveys attached to the expansive review were completed.
Mrs Paul’s amendment was seconded by Buckie councillor Gordon McDonald and ultimately approved by seven votes to six.