Islanders have escaped parking fees coming to their shores.

North Ayrshire Council had decided to make drivers pay for shorefront parking in Brodick on Arran.

But the council’s cabinet made a U-turn last Wednesday, August 28, after councillors asked for charges to be ditched.

The Arran charges had been expected to raise £10,000 for the council per year. It was predicted the new parking fees would bring in a total of £350,000 annually across the whole local authority area.

Speaking at cabinet, head of commercial services David Hammond said: “It is acknowledged there is no one size fits all approach to meet the needs of communities.”

Council leader Joe Cullinane announced that Arran residents would be spared having to pay.

But he still wants parking to be decriminalised in Arran – meaning it would be controlled by the council instead of the police.

Councillor Cullinane said: “For the decriminalised parking enforcement (DPE) part, I would insist Arran is included.”

He said the decision is “no” to parking charges but work should be done with ward councillors to iron out traffic restrictions.

The council’s audit and scrutiny committee had referred the parking charge decision back to cabinet following a call-in from councillors Billings, McMaster and Gurney.

The call-in said: “People want to come to live and visit Arran because, like other Scottish islands, there is a perception that they are places of refuge away from the hustle of the mainland.

“Creating parking restrictions and the subsequent chaos will chip away at that special feeling that Arran has, making it less attractive as a place to stay and visit.”

A number of short-stay car parks in Irvine, Kilwinning, Saltcoats and Largs will no longer be free from next autumn.