New Falkland community council opposes traffic measure

Dr Peter Burman, who was elected chairman of the community council in November, also revealed the local authority was considering options to use more diagonal and angular parking spaces.

He said: “We do not support the introduction of yet more double yellow lines.

“They are disfiguring in an Outstanding Conservation Area, such as Falkland is, because what is sometimes called the ‘Public Realm’, the spaces between buildings, is generally as important as the buildings.

“There are precious green areas in the burgh, and equally precious are the numerous but small areas of paving with river-washed cobbles. None of these look good with double yellow lines!”

At its December meeting the community council, which introduced four new members recently, also took advice from retired traffic consultant Stewart Knowles, who recommended “a radical reappraisal and re-design” of Falkland’s streets to make the streets “less forbidding” for pedestrians and cyclists.

“This seems to us, ideally at least, the way in which we ought to go,” commented Dr Burman.

Given the numbers visiting Falkland, members also called for a proper and carefully designed visitors’ car-park.

“There is a long history to this too, but with good will and determination we should be able to make some progress in the next two or three years,” Dr Burman concluded.