Paisley Photographs

Drivers returning to Paisley High Street after the latest roadworks could be forgiven for asking one question: where have all the parking spaces gone?

With the High Street now reopened to traffic, work has been taking place today to mark out the new parking arrangements around the Paisley Museum area — and the changes look set to make parking even more difficult for motorists.

A total of eight parking spaces which previously sat outside the former Territorial Army Hall and the former Museum car park have disappeared, with the area on this side now being converted into two coach parking only bays.

At the main entrance to the University of the West of Scotland, beside Roasters, another six parking spaces have been reduced to just two standard spaces, alongside a much larger disabled parking bay.

Further along the High Street, between the bus stop and the top of Lady Lane, motorists have also lost spaces. The previous eight parking bays have been reduced to five.

There are some new spaces elsewhere.

The section between Wm Houston and Roasters now includes three parking spaces and a loading-only bay.

But while the markings are still fresh, one potential headache for motorists is already becoming obvious.

Coach parking could create a new traffic headache the new coach-only parking outside Thomas Coats Memorial Church could prove particularly problematic when coaches begin using the bays.

If a coach is parked in the designated area while another bus pulls in opposite, traffic heading towards the West End could potentially be forced to cross the central reservation to get past.

That could create a difficult situation on what is already a busy stretch of the High Street.

And there is another noticeable omission — the parking spaces opposite the Co-op funeral parlours on Lady Lane have still not returned.

For motorists who have watched the High Street undergo months of disruption, the reopening was expected to bring some relief.

Instead, it appears that the road may be open again — but finding somewhere to park could be an entirely different story.

The latest changes raise questions over whether the balance between coach facilities, disabled parking, loading areas and ordinary motorists has been got right.

With the new markings now appearing on the road, motorists will soon get their first real chance to see how the revised layout works once the High Street is fully back to normal.

The High Street may have reopened — but the battle for a parking space looks set to continue.