Car parking fears (From Barry And District News)

Car parking fears

PLANS to build a new Wilkinson store on Holton Road will slash the number of parking spaces in the shopping centre.

The development of the site will lead to the loss of 45 spaces, leaving just 80 for shop workers and customers.

The blueprints have also been met with tough restrictions on heavy goods lorries in the town.

It is thought that delivery lorries will take up much of the limited road space along Holton Road and Evans Street, reducing car parking spaces.

The criticism comes from Plaid Cymru's Cllr Nic Hodges, who believes the traffic chaos in the centre will be added to by the development.

Cllr Nic Hodges discussed the issue at a Vale of Glamorgan Council meeting last week.

He said: "The development of the site is long overdue.

I welcome the store to the area.

But I think we have become too reliant on the temporary car parking spaces at the site."

Cllr Hodges believes there an under-use of the multi-storey car park and there needs to be another solution.

He added: "We have also looked at why people are not using the multi-storey.

I know there are concerns about safety, I know there has been petty vandalism but we have considered a revamp for it.

We also need to identify other parking solutions."

Councillor Hodges added Wilkinson understands the restrictions of lorries around the site which were a part of the planning approval.

Further improvements are also to be made to the Court Road Multi-Storey Car Park.

Loading bays are expected to be created for the use of delivery vehicles, but lorries will be banned from loading and waiting on Holton Road and Evans Street.