A SENIOR councillor says he hopes that parking discs will be scrapped in Gourock by spring.

Chris McEleny launched an attempt to scrap the system last year and now, after a lengthy delay, officials are due to bring forward a report on his proposal.

The SNP man had secured support for the plan by the end of 2019 but due to Covid-19 the analysis of a public consultation on the matter was held up.

The analysis has now been completed by Municipal Buildings bosses and a decision should be reached over the next few months.

Cllr McEleny believes that parking enforcement is possible without the need for the controversial discs.

Under the current system, drivers must use a disc to indicate their time of arrival and if they overstay their welcome, parking attendants can issue a £60 fine.

He is calling on fellow elected members to agree to scrap the need for drivers to display them when the matter comes before them in the new year.

The need to display a parking disc has already been removed in Kilmacolm.

Cllr McEleny says this prompted him to request the changes in Gourock, so that there was a 'fair and consistent' approach on parking rules within the authority area.

He told the Tele: “Parking discs are a clumsy system.

"I think it is right that we move ahead with scrapping the system in Gourock.

"This doesn’t mean there would be no parking restrictions - it just means that the need to display a disc would be removed.

“Ideally we would’ve moved ahead with these changes already but Covid-19 has naturally had an impact on council services.

"However it is a step forward that we could agree to these changes as early as spring."

If parking discs are scrapped in Gourock it is likely pressure would build for the same policy to be implemented in Greenock.

But Mr McEleny says that each issue should be taken in turn and considered separately.

He added: "That would be a matter for those that represent the area's largest town to make a case for."