Island takes control of cash cow car park

TOWN LOSES BID TO KEEP RUNNING FACILITY THAT RAKES IN £100K A YEAR

- By DALE SPRIDGEON Local Democracy Reporter

A TOWN council's bid to keep a lucrative car park which rakes in more than £100,000 a year has failed.

Anglesey County Council's executive this week threw out a bid by Beaumaris Town Council to secure an asset transfer of the resort's Castle Car and Coach park.

The town council was originally granted the lease to run the car park from the county council for a period of five years in 2020.

It was then granted extra time to compensate for lost earnings during the Covid lockdown periods and to present a business plan.

Revenues raised from the car park were intended to help maintain the historic Beaumaris Gaol and Courthouse museums when the county council transferred the historic buildings to the town council.

The town council had previously said that losing income from the car park would put the future of the assets at risk.

But some councillors questioned how much money was spent on maintaining the tourist attractions, at the meeting in Llangefni on Tuesday.

Beaumaris mayor Stan Zalot said previously that losing the parking revenue "may result in the closure of the Gaol and Courthouse and thus have a detrimental effect on tourism and local employment".

He added: "It would require the council to raise the precept levied against its electorate and Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn by almost 200% for the 2026-27 financial year."

But the county council rejected the transfer request, proposing to offer another lease, until March 31, 2026.