WHILE works have commenced on the Bells Lookout project this week with the updated design to include 11 parking bays, residents are concerned the capacity still won’t meet demand.

Brigadoon resident Karen Mowat, who has been an ongoing advocate for improvements to the site, said more information was needed around the parking shortfall and road safety risks.

“Road safety and additional parking is a separate future project – these were big concerns for locals but no details have been released,” she said.

“Parking and road safety should have been included as part of this project and not a separate project.

“Unfortunately, no-one appears to want to pay heed to locals’ concerns on issues regarding the current lack of parking and road safety.”

Calls for improved parking have been echoed by residents commenting on social media in response to the announcement.

“I rolled up in person to discuss my concerns regarding parking,” Brigadoon resident Amanda Hunt said.

“I know I wasn’t the only one who expressed concern over the lack of parking – not good enough.”

Brigadoon resident Kaylene Taylor said the 10 non-ACROD parking bays on the updated Bells Lookout plan would not suffice, especially once the falls began running.

“All of us who live up here know that once the falls are running, there are 20-50 cars on all sides of the street, blocking the roads, and causing hazards,” she said.

“The 10 parking bays are not going to alleviate this.

“Adding a coffee van will bring even more tourists up (and) where are they going to park?”

The City of Swan has confirmed it is investigating additional parking and road improvements as a separate initiative, but no formal proposal has yet been released for public review or engagement.

In Concerns Bells rapids lookout about tourism, residents were concerned the lookout would generate extra traffic, illegal turns and people parking on the roads due to the limited parking in the area.

Residents were also hopeful the old sales office building on the 911 Campersic Road site would be repurposed and given back to community back in 2023.

City of Swan has since confirmed the building was demolished after cost estimates for its transformation exceeded $2 million.

The city has noted that resident feedback was reviewed and as a result, the final design included more trees, garden bed area, reduced concrete paths and undercover building size and more parking bays.

The proposed design released in 2023 had eight parking bays, including four on-street parking bays, which has since been expanded to 10 parking bays and one extra ACROD space without on-street parking.

A coffee van area has also been proposed in the new design while the connection path to Orlov Trail has been removed.

The state government has provided $800,000 to fund the lookout works which the city said the design scope was intended to stay within.