Fife village to get new parking rules to manage Outlander fans flocking to visit

The South and West Fife Area Committee agreed to consult the public about a new traffic order. It would introduce a “seasonal urban clearway” - a designated section of road where stopping and parking would be restricted or prohibited during specific times.

“There have been concerns raised by the community council about inconsiderate parking in Sandhaven, specifically during the tourist season,” a committee report stated. This causes congestion and access issues for bus services and through traffic. An Urban Clearway aims to ensure the smooth flow of traffic and reduce congestion in busy areas.”

Councillors unanimously agreed to send the traffic order out for public consultation. It is proposed that the clearway would be operational and enforceable along Sandhaven between March 1 and October 31 each year to prohibit parking from 9:00am-6:00pm, every day.

“We’re obviously very lucky to have Culross - it’s a great village and attracts a great number of tourists which brings a huge number of economic benefits to the area,” said Labour Councillor Graeme Downie (West Fife and coastal villages). “This traffic order tries to rebalance things a little bit to address some of the concerns of local residents. You do see a number of cars parking on that narrow bit of road and it can really cause quite a lot of disruption - particularly during busier summer months.”

He continued: “This clearway is a really good idea to see if we can address some of the local traffic problems.”

Ward Councillor Sam Steele (SNP) agreed that the traffic order - if approved - will go a long way to addressing the concerns of local residents. “While Outlander is magnificent it brings hefty traffic to Culross and causes a lot of issues,” she said - fully supporting the clearway.

Councillors were told that there are large free car parks at each end of Culross for visitor parking.