A man from Kilmarnock has taken up William Wallace’s well-known speech about freedom to start his own campaign.
In response to parking restrictions implemented to address traffic issues on Kilmarnock FC Saturday match days, Neil Carlton has engaged in a verbal spat.
The resident of Rugby Road is advocating for the issuance of resident parking permits to locals as an alternative to the recent implementation of a complete vehicle ban.
On match days, Neil has persisted in parking outside his home while carrying a sign of protest visible on his windscreen. However, he has since received a penalty notice.
“This vehicle belongs to Neil Carlton of 23 Rugby Road Kilmarnock KAI 2DQ,” the protest notice read.
“Resident parking permits are kindly requested for use on match days when the new restrictions are in effect.
“You may take our lives, but you will never take our parking spaces, to slightly misquote Sir William Wallace!”
In order to increase overall safety, the restrictions have been implemented as new double yellow lines in some locations, primarily around junctions, to indicate permanent full-time restrictions, and single yellow lines with accompanying signage to indicate part-time restrictions.
On match days, the part-time limitations are in effect from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Residents were urged by Ayrshire Road Alliance to move their cars out at least 90 minutes in advance of the game and to wait to return until at least 60 minutes after it ended.
Since relocating to Rugby Road in 1990, Neil Carlton has been parking his car right outside his home, without causing any disturbance to others. However, both he and his neighbours are now facing consequences for this behaviour.
The local resident, irritated, has taken the matter further and is presently awaiting a hearing before the Transport Tribunal Appeal.
Four prior match days in 2023 had seen Neil’s notice on his windscreen; however, nothing had been done about it.
“Prior to that I had left my car on the yellow lines with my protest notice on the windscreen without getting a ticket,” Neil stated to Ayrshire Live. When I first did this, a parking warden told me that I was doing something legitimate, so he would not be issuing me a ticket.
“While many of the neighbours don’t have garages, I do have one at the back of my home. This seems like a matter of principle to me.
“I have no problem with the new parking regulations being implemented as a way to discourage careless parking during football games. But I just don’t understand why the authorities won’t give out resident parking permits in accordance with these new arrangements.
“I would like the council to agree to issue residents parking permits so that we can continue to park outside our houses legally when Saturday games are on at Rugby Park.”
“I was outraged and determined to do what I could to continue to campaign against them because they are manifestly unfair—I have been parking my car outside this house for 30 years without inconveniencing anyone else,” he continued. “The parking restrictions were first introduced on Saturday match days.”
“They are not enforceable for evening weekend matches, so they are only partially effective.
“They are expensive. All they needed to do was put up a sign at the entrance to the new section of Rugby Road that said something like, “When games are taking place at Rugby Park during the match, for 30 minutes before the game and for 15 minutes afterwards parking in Rugby Road and Rugby Crescent is residents only,” rather than incurring the costs of erecting all the signs and painting the yellow lines, as I have repeatedly pointed out to the council.
Alongside this, all residents who requested them would receive parking permits.”
The streets around Rugby Park have parking restrictions in place on match days in order to promote road safety and guarantee that emergency routes are free of parked cars.
Rugby Road residents say they have always complied with the long-standing custom of keeping the older portion next to South Hamilton Street free of obstruction in case emergency vehicles need to enter Rugby Park.
Neil said: “The part of Rugby Road that is affected by the new restrictions is beyond the entrance to the football ground and is a cul-de-sac so emergency access to Kilmarnock FC isn’t affected in any way.”
Residents claimed they haven’t gotten a “satisfactory” response to their repeated requests for an explanation of why parking permits weren’t given to them.
“At the Cabinet meeting on March 8, 2023, an agreement was reached on amended parking arrangements around Rugby Park on match days,” an East Ayrshire Council spokesperson stated.
As part of the consultation process, the introduction of a permit scheme was fully considered; however, doubts were raised regarding the efficacy of any such scheme.
Contemporary permit programmes are managed virtually, with data sent electronically to a parking attendant’s mobile device.
“Since there is nothing tangible that a car can physically display to show that a permit programme is in place, people may disregard any related signage and be persuaded—indeed, even encouraged—to park on the streets after witnessing other cars parked there.
Residents living in a designated area would also be responsible for applying for an annual permit and supplying the necessary documentation to support their claims of residency and vehicle ownership.
“Accordingly, the Cabinet decided that a permit scheme was not necessary and decided to change the previously publicised order to permit the relaxation of suggested restrictions at certain affected intersections.
“The Head of Roads advised at this meeting that the Ayrshire Roads Alliance will take into account reasons for residents unable to move their vehicles and review each request on merit.”
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