Council to reconsider seaside car parking charges

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

A council says it will look again at controversial car parking charge plans for two popular Welsh seaside towns.

Vale of Glamorgan Council has announced it will carry out further survey work and evidence gathering before making a decision on plans to close Court Road multi-storey car park in Barry and introducing car parking charges at Barry Island and Penarth.

The on-street charges would affect locations along the seafronts of both areas, where car parking is currently free for two hours.

Vale of Glamorgan Council said the move would help increase turnover in two busy seaside locations and help fund the maintenance of resorts.

Criticism

However, the proposals prompted criticism from business owners who fear it will drive away vital winter-time trade and cause shops to close.

The owner of Barrybados, Louis Ross, said of the recent news: “It is a very positive step. I am glad that the council have listened, taken in all of the feedback from the campaign.

“Hopefully they will realise what they proposed was going to hurt the island trade all year around and we are hopeful of finding a solution that suits the council and the traders and the public over the next few weeks.”

A petition started by Louis opposing the planned on-street parking charges at Barry Island has gained more than 3,300 signatures so far.

The proposed charges for Barry Island, if they go ahead in their current form, will affect Paget Road, Breaksea Drive, Friars Road, and Station Approach Road.

Penarth seafront

Parking charges at Penarth seafront are proposed for The Esplanade, Cliff Hill, Cliff Parade, and sections of Beach Road and Bridgeman Road.

A petition opposing the plans in Penarth was also set up and has so far gained more than 2,950 signatures.

Louis said he and other business owners in Barry Island have attempted to meet with council officials multiple times to discuss the proposed charges.

He added: “We are hopeful to get a meeting with them so we can have a proper discussion and… let the council know first hand what damage this is going to do in the long term and for the island.

“If they’d implemented it the way… they said they would, I think it would have hurt peoples’ jobs in the long run.”

A final decision on the on-street car parking proposals will be made at a future Vale of Glamorgan Council cabinet meeting once additional information from the local authority’s survey work is considered.

The council, which currently faces a budget gap of £8m for 2025-26, said Court Road car park is costing it £80,000 a year to operate.

‘Huge headache’

However, Plaid Cymru councillor for Buttrills, Cllr Ian Johnson, said Barry town centre is already full “to bursting point” and closing the multi-storey car park would cause a “huge headache for shoppers”.

Vale of Glamorgan Council has approved the principle of charging at four coastal car parks and traffic regulation order proposals, which are subject to a 21-day statutory public consultation period, will now be published.

The car parks affected are Portabello and Westfarm in Ogmore, the Knap and Bryn Y Mor in Barry and Penarth Cliff Walk.

One business owner expressed concern over the car park plans at a council scrutiny committee meeting in January, highlighting that one of the sites was in a “poor state of repair”.

Matt Holland of Willmore’s 1938 at Penarth Cliff Walk said an elderly gentleman broke his hip after falling at the car park in November 2024.

Vale of Glamorgan Council confirmed resurfacing work will be carried out at two of the four car parks, including Penarth Cliff Walk, before charges come into effect.

Vale of Glamorgan Council leader Lis Burnett said: “There is already a charge to use most council car parks so introducing the same arrangements at others creates consistency.

“Car parking charges are designed to help the council cover maintenance and management costs associated with our resorts, which given their popularity are sizeable.

“It is only right that visitors should contribute to that upkeep as the responsibility should not lie solely with residents through their council tax payments.

“We want to be open in our rationale for these decisions and for others to be clear on that as well.

“With that in mind, we have taken on board the comments of scrutiny committee and asked for further evidence gathering to be carried out in relation to the potential closure of Court Road car park and proposed on-street charges at Penarth and Barry Island.

“This will then be used to inform a final decision on the matter. We will only be able to properly make a decision in relation to the future of Court Road car park and the proposal for on-street charges at Penarth seafront and Barry Island after we receive that further information.”

Charges at the four car parks will mirror those in place at other council facilities.

Season tickets are available for off-street coastal car parks, costing £60 for six months and £100 for a year, which are valid at any chargeable Vale of Glamorgan Council-run resort car park.

A combined coastal and country park season ticket will also be introduced shortly, available at a lower price than buying these separately.