It is reported that free parking facility announced in Carmarthenshire might be cancelled for this Christmas season. Hence, the executive board of the county council is planning to end their trading boost in areas such as Ammanford, Llanelli and Carmarthen owing to this reason.
To compensate with this, shoppers can park for free in car parks owned by council for one week in the beginning of the New Year. According to Andrew Stephens, President of Llanelli’s Chamber, they have been campaigning for free parking facility so as to enable traders to benefit like the retail market with free parking facility. Cancellation of free parking is likely to hit shopper’s psyche.
Councillors are meanwhile planning to collect 600 names to file for a petition seeking free parking prior to Christmas after 3pm all through the year. Jeff Thomas, a councillor said that traders have accepted this idea which would help shoppers visit the town a little later and will at the same time help business in small shops. However, free parking in Ammanford and Llanelli will be allowed to help traders in spite of several cuts made, the council said.
The estimate cost of free parking in all public car parks for four hours after 10am is £28,000. However, there was a loss of £70,000 when free parking was allowed for the pre-Christmas season in the past. Hence, it was concluded stating that free parking in three county towns for this New Year struck a balance between two factors- providing economic stimuli and managing space.
