Bollards lead to Tweedbank car park dispute

Carolyn Grant, who owns her flat in Gunknowe Bank, just off Cotgreen Road, says she has been using the car park for 10 years, without any problems.

However, Waverley Housing, which lets flats out to tenants on the adjoining block, erected padlocked bollards on the spaces a week before Christmas, and only gave keys to their tenants.

Now Carolyn, a retired IT staff member at Scottish Borders Council, says because she has spoken out against the move, she has been the victim of abuse from some of the tenants.

She said: “I have been parking in this car park for 10 years. which was originally intended for 10 flats in the immediate area. It’s the same set-up all the way up the street.

“In the interim, Some flats were sold off to Waverley , but others, like mine are private.

“Waverley took title of the car park 18 months ago, but it was only just before Christmas that they put up the bollards and gave keys to their tenants but not the private flats.

“When the flats were built, each flat had a parking space, but that is no longer the case.

“Some of the tenants have been agressive and confrontational, and for no reason.

“One shouted at me that the spaces are only for tenants, and that I should park in a driveway I don’t actually have. Nobody speaks to me now, and I’m avoiding them as I don’t want further abuse.”

Gregor Booth, operations director at Waverley Housing, said the move to install the bollards was led by the tenants.

He said: “ Over the last year we have received complaints from our tenants living in block 9-14 Cotgreen Road, that on many occasions they have not been able to park in the car park adjacent to the block of flats in which they live because the car parking spaces have been occupied by vehicles belonging to other residents living in the area.

“We issued a questionnaire to these tenants to find out more about the problems they had been experiencing and what options could be considered to resolve the difficulties they were having.

“The majority of tenants reported that they were frequently having problems when trying to get a space in the car park area. Given the feedback we received we installed bollards to allow each tenant to have a dedicated car parking space.

“There remains one free car parking space for visitors or neighbouring residents to use. The car park area is owned by Waverley Housing.”

Carolyn added: “The situation has been compounded due to the fact that some of the tenants have got two keys, so there is never a space available for me, therfore I have to park my car elsewhere.”