Free parking pilot has stalled
THE Welsh Government’s attempt to gauge whether free car parking would boost trade in town and city centres is stalling, with many councils choosing other uses for the money.
While many traders believe free parking would help town centres fight against online and out-of-town retail, there are concerns it would undermine policies to tackle air pollution and congestion.
As a condition of Plaid Cymru’s support for this year’s budget, the government added £3m to its overall grant to councils with the “expectation” the money would be used to test free parking in urban centres in 2017-18.
Plaid Cymru is “disappointed” by the outcome and says councils should have been told to apply for the funding with specific proposals. However, councils controlled or led by Plaid Cymru appear lukewarm. Gwynedd council said discussions were ongoing about how it would “look to make the best use of the funding”. Ceredigion council said no detailed proposals had been progressed, while Carmarthenshire said it already had free parking in all town centres.
Cardiff council denied that any “identified project or pilot” existed, since the funding was not separate from the government’s general grant. The council argues that offering free city centre parking would cause “significant congestion and pollution” and that it is working with neighbouring councils to increase provision of park and ride. A spokesman said a further £180,000 had been allocated to Cardiff’s parking sensor initiative, which guides motorists to empty spaces. It has also allocated £40,000 for a study or pilot of parking for electric vehicles.
Powys council has said it would make “little sense” to spend money on free parking when education and adult social care were much greater priorities.
A spokeswoman for Pembrokeshire council said the council’s parking service is loss-making. It has a number of free car parks and will again offer free parking at weekends before Christmas.
A Swansea council spokesman said all city centre car parks are free on Sundays. Bus operators have previously warned that increased free parking in the centre would undermine park and ride facilities, which would need higher subsidies.
Wrexham council has “a number of free parking days linked to this pilot” including the town centre in December and for events and festivals. However, this repeats the free parking available last year, before the pilot funding.
Bridgend council will use the funding to offer two hours’ free parking at Rhiw car park, from next month until the end of March. Conwy council began a free parking pilot on July 1 at Abergele’s Water Street car park. The council’s website still says charges apply there, starting at 50p for an hour. Rhondda Cynon Taf council introduced free parking in three towns and cut charges elsewhere on April 1. However, this is an “amended parking regime”, rather than a pilot. A Plaid Cymru spokeswoman said: “In rural towns, where high street shops are competing against retail parks with free parking, then a free parking scheme would be appropriate. That is why Plaid Cymru was disappointed when the £3m was given to local authorities on an unhypothecated basis instead of establishing a single purpose individual fund that local authorities could apply for in order to pilot specific schemes.”