Councillors call for extension to free parking

FREE parking in Caerphilly county borough’s town centre pay and display car parks should be extended into the first six months of next year, according to a motion set to be considered by councillors.

The Labour-led council waived parking charges in June until the end of this year to encourage people to “shop local”.

Plaid Cymru and Independent councillors are now calling for the move to be extended into next year. Councillor Colin Mann, leader of the council’s Plaid Cymru group, who has submitted a notice of motion, said: “The council needs to extend free parking for the first half of 2021 to encourage people to come back into our town centres and help traders as they try to recover from this crisis.

“Only last month the council urged residents to shop local and the deputy Labour leader accepted that businesses were starting to feel the pinch from the local lockdown and said that the local economy needed a boost.

“The first few months of any year are normally the most difficult for local traders. I am contacting the Independent councillors and the ruling Labour group to ask them to support our motion.

“Local could literally be the difference between our local businesses having a bright future or no future at all.”

Independent councillor Kevin Etheridge said his group “totally support” free parking in town centres.

But questions over the timing of the motion have been raised by the council’s Labour group.

Cllr John Ridgewell, cabinet member for environment and infrastructure, said car parking charges across the county borough are currently being considered by a task and finish group.

He said the authority had waived parking charges “when many other local councils chose not to”.

“There is a cost associated with offering free parking, so everything will need to be considered in the round,” Cllr Ridgewell said.

Cllr Sean Morgan, deputy leader, added: “It’s wrong to try to present this notice of motion at this time as the cross-party task and finish group, which Cllr Mann’s Plaid Cymru ward colleague chairs, is yet to complete its review.”