FIFE COUNCIL have been labelled “short-sighted” by a Dunfermline business as the first year of Sunday car-parking charges figures have been revealed.

The controversial move was introduced in January last year and raked in £50,000 of income from pay & display meters and £5,000 from Parking Charge Notices (PCNs) in Dunfermline alone in 2017.

A total of 173 PCNs were issued to drivers who failed to display a valid ticket for parking after 1pm.

The move is still under review, and Debbie Jobson, who runs Hope Hairdressing, is calling for the charges to be scrapped.

Debbie told the Press last March how sad she was to see the Maygate deserted since the fees were introduced and how it was “killing business.”

This week, she said: “My views haven’t changed. I still think it’s ridiculous. It’s not a way of encouraging people, it puts people off.

“You want to champion your home town but I think Fife Council are incredibly short-sighted and not thinking about the bigger picture.

“Dunfermline needs all the help it can get to boost business and tourism. The new museum is an amazing facility and it’s an asset for the town that increases footfall, yet the Maygate is so quiet on a Sunday.

“You want to give people a chance to wander the area and spend money in nearby businesses on a Sunday, not spend money for parking.

“I love Dunfermline, and it is so sad to see this area dead on Sundays.

“As much as I would want to see the charges scrapped, I just can’t see it happening.”

Across Fife, approximately £170,000 was collected through pay & display meters with £30,000 coming in via 1,024 PCNs.

Fife Council brought in the move despite objections from businesses and town centre groups.

Councillor Altany Craik, convenor of the economy, tourism, strategic planning and transportation committee, said the council was generating income to “offset” operating costs.

He said: “Demand for parking within our town centres on Sundays is generally like any other day of the week and we need to manage this.

"The council incurs significant costs in the management and maintenance of car-parking and the additional revenue income generated from Sunday parking charges helps to offset such operating costs.”

He added: “Many of Fife’s parking arrangements are historic and often reflect local arrangements appropriate to that particular area. Over time, shopping patterns have changed and the role of our town centres continues to evolve.

"We are continuing to work with towns and communities across Fife to look at their parking needs so that measures put in place are appropriate and reflective of local circumstances.”