Inverclyde Council has outlined a package of parking and safety measures for West Blackhall Street following a £6 million redevelopment, aiming to add capacity, increase turnover and deter inconsiderate driving.

The proposals include revising loading bay and on-street restrictions to unlock more spaces and encourage shorter stays throughout the day.

Further options set out in the report are to extend free stay times in several town centre car parks to three hours (then £2 per day), create four extra bays, and install bollards along the cycle lane to prevent illegal and inconsiderate parking.

If agreed, officers estimate daily parking availability would rise by 45 per cent, supporting access to shops, services and amenities. A comparison shows: pre-development capacity of 540 vehicles per day; post-development 392; and, with the proposed changes, 784.

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The plan has been developed in response to feedback from businesses, pedestrians and cyclists since the March 2025 completion of the £6m works. The council consulted directly with local traders in June 2026, writing to more than 60 businesses and promoting a survey online and in the local press; six responses were received.

The measures will be considered by the environment and regeneration committee on Thursday 20 August 2026. The full proposals are available on the council website, and the meeting will be streamed live on the council's YouTube channel via the links provided.

Councillor Michael McCormick, Inverclyde Council's convener of environment and regeneration, said: "We have been listening to concerns raised by people, including businesses, and officers have come up with a series of ideas and proposals that could help make improvements relatively quickly and within existing budgets.

"It will now be up to members of the environment and regeneration committee to consider the proposals contained in the report and decide which proposals, if any, should be taken forward."

The proposals sit within a wider review of the West Blackhall Street redevelopment. While parking on one side of the street was removed to create a wider pavement and a cycle lane, overall town centre capacity has increased by four spaces plus two disabled bays thanks to new car parks on Jamaica Street and Dalrymple Street and additional on-street parking on Dalrymple Street.