SO the issue of parking came up again in the Times last week, this time in Cowdenbeath and businesses airing their concern that some vulnerable customers are left in a difficult position due to the lack of parking in the town's High Street.

When the High Street was revamped well over 15 years ago parking at the side of the road was severely curtailed and really while there has been some tweaking it has continued not to be really up to dealing with the daily requirements of the centre of the town.

Parking facilities in the town really revolve around the Morrison's car park, at the south end of High Street, and the Stenhouse Street facility beside the Leisure Centre.

There are other smaller ones like opposite Hall Street and at the north end there is the small facility at North End Park.

It is interesting that six businesses had signed a petition to the Cowdenbeath Area Committee highlighting the problems that they feel their customers face.

To be fair while the distance between the Morrison's car park and the likes of Dario's Restaurant might not seem very much for the young and able bodied but it probably is around 500 yards and if you are not steady on your feet then it can probably feel like a mile.

So you can see the point that the business folk are making.

However, I noticed in the report the Times had last week that the roads people had said that the pavement that the businesses want used to create some extra parking is not wide enough to cope with the demands that would be made.

Well that could be true and the last thing we need is a pile of congestion at the Fountain roundabout.

To me it is a problem with no easy answer as the small car park across the road from the businesses at the south end only holds about four to six cars and if the roads people think that will help they are heading up the wrong alley.

This is a problem that is going to need some really serious thinking to solve.

FOUNTAIN,

Cowdenbeath.