THE Queen has been warned that traffic in the Royal Park, which borders her official residence in Edinburgh, will increase by more than a third if congestion charging is introduced in the city.

Officials who drafted the proposed charge zone have conceded that Queen’s Drive, which runs past the Palace of Holyroodhouse and is outside the charge boundary, will be used as a “rat run” for motorists seeking to evade the £2 levy.

They fear the area could become particularly congested at peak times, with traffic volume rising by as much as 34%.

The Queen is known to be angry at recent physical changes to the area around the royal palace. She is said to have been unhappy at the building of the Scottish parliament, as she believes its modern look is out of place in such a historic quarter.

The 650-acre park, which includes Salisbury Crags, is Edinburgh’s biggest green space and has the highest level of environmental protection.

Historic Scotland, the custodians of the park, told a public inquiry last summer that increased traffic would compromise the natural environment. However, its request that the park be included in the new congestion charge zone was ruled out. It now plans to carry out its own traffic surveys and to mount a possible appeal at a later stage.

A pressure group of Edinburgh communities against the congestion charge has written to the Queen warning her of the damage that may be done to the park.

“We are extremely concerned about the impact the projected increase in traffic of 34% on Queen’s Drive will have on Holyrood Park,” said Tina Woolnough, the group’s spokeswoman.

“This is a world-famous, environmentally sensitive, green open space, but the City of Edinburgh council is promoting a congestion charging scheme that will result in Queen’s Drive becoming an unofficial bypass.

“We think the severe impact on Holyrood park demonstrates that this particular proposal has nothing to do with environmental issues and everything to do with the raising of additional taxes.”

Members of the royal family have been known to enjoy the park when they are in residence at the palace.

“I am sure that the Queen will have been informed by her ministers and she will have been advised accordingly,” said a Buckingham Palace spokeswoman. “As there is a referendum pending, it is really too early to comment further.”

A referendum on the issue is due to be held next week. If it is successful, other Scottish cities may introduce their own schemes.

A spokeswoman for TIE, the body which will manage the congestion charge scheme, confirmed that members of the royal family will have to pay the £2 charge, just as they pay a charge in London.

Last week the ruling Labour group on Edinburgh city council offered further concessions to appease the no lobby. If the scheme goes ahead, it will now be subject to a review every six months, and the council has pledged to scrap the scheme after two years if it does not reduce congestion.

“Without any form of congestion charging, traffic will increase by 50% across the whole region in the next 20 years,” said Andrew Burns, convenor of the council’s transport committee.

“It is this fact that objectors to the current scheme wilfully fail to mention when quoting, selectively, from pieces of ‘evidence’ given to the recent independent public inquiry.

“The actual inquiry’s conclusion was that the city of Edinburgh council should proceed with caution, and doing nothing was not an option.”

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