Parking fees to be hiked and enforcement hours extended

A COUNCIL has approved plans to hike its parking fees.

- By DALE SPRIDGEON

Cyngor Gwynedd’s Cabinet has agreed that short-stay car park enforcement hours should be extended from 10am to 4.30pm to 9am to 5pm, a move which could bring in £78,000.

It has also approved adjustments to long-stay parking with the aim of raising a further £160,000.

‘As well as the changes to short-stay car park enforcement hours, the £1.40 two-hour rate in long stays has been removed and the four-hour fee goes up from £2.80 to £3.50.

‘The changes, netting a total of £238,000, were originally voted to proceed by the Cabinet last April, but required “further consideration,’ before a final decision following consultation.

Some community councils had raised concerns, including Criccieth Town Council, which opposed changes to the long-stay fee structure citing “many locals and visitors using car parks for walks and an increase in people parking on the street or not visiting at all”.

Bethesda Community Council had also felt “car park use has decreased since the introduction of charges”.

It believed the number of motorists parking on yellow lines on the high street would decrease if the car park was free.