Issue - meetings

The Cabinet considered a report which contained information in relation to the cost and resource implications of varying the current arrangements of free parking days along with available options to continue the free parking initiative.

It was reported that the Council’s free parking policy aimed to increase footfall in towns by providing free parking in its pay & display car parks on up to five separate days each year to support events or campaigns in each town.  Currently, applications for the free parking days were submitted on-line and must have the support of the appropriate Town Council and Town Centre Management Group. Following internal consultation, the applications were put forward for Cabinet Member approval.

Cabinet noted that based on independent reports commissioned as part of the Council’s Ten Town initiative, representatives of rural towns had sought to increase the number of free parking days over and above the current 5 free-parking days per annum that the Council had in place.

Following consideration of the report and all the options available, it was proposed that the options 5 and 6 of the report be endorsed, this was duly seconded.

As provided for by Protocol the Leader invited Councillor Rob James to put his prepared question in respect of this item.

Question by Councillor Rob James:

“I am sure that the Cabinet would agree with me that it has been a difficult period for local businesses, and I think that free parking has been argued for a long period to be a possible mechanism for boosting local business as support.  As you can see from the report there is also a very large variation where Carmarthen Town in particular generated 70% of all parking charges for the entire County.  Would the Cabinet be willing to work with us to see if we can develop a proposal for a 1-hour free carparking in selected car parks across the County to ensure that we can support the local businesses as you roll out this pilot.  I think a 1- hour free would be a very simplistic policy and would be very much understood by the public, it wouldn’t be this discrepancy about different days and different times, and I think it would actually increase footfall into the towns.”

Whilst accepting the question on this occasion, the Leader asked that questions be put as submitted in future in accordance with the requirements of the Protocol for Non-Executive Members’ Attendance at Formal Cabinet Meetings.

Response by the Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure Services:

“The Council has continued to support local businesses and town centres over several years, both before, during and beyond the pandemic.  In consultation with every town centre the Council has provided five free car parking days to support events, the Council has provided further support with extended periods of free parking throughout weekdays in every town.  Free parking is provided in:

• Ammanford – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 10:00am to 2:00pm
• Carmarthen – Tuesday and Thursday, 3:30pm to 6:00pm
• Llanelli – Monday  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7