Don't cut parking (From Barry And District News)

Don't cut parking

A BARRY home carer is warning the local authority that its plan to slash parking in Holton Road will cripple surrounding streets.

Joanna Jennings lives in Maes-y-Cwm Street. She insists that every Tuesday the parking is almost impossible - and the Vale of Glamorgan Council's proposals will make every day of the week just the same.

She told the News: "When the one car park in Wyndham Street plays host to the market traders' vans, the people who usually park there are forced to find alternative parking.

"This inevitably shunts other traffic into the side streets, and not just Maes-y-Cwm, but many of the others.

"This couldn't have come at a worse time - just as the Waterfront Retail park opens and the residents are being asked to pay for resident permits.

And when the traffic wardens come around, they do book people for parking illegally. But they can't be expected to stay all day, and people will take advantage - but only because they'll be forced to."

The 51-year-old added: "This is going to be a nightmare situation for the shopworkers. Where are they going to park? And even if they find a space to leave their cars all day, what about the customers?

Why should people scrabble for a space when they can drive a tiny distance to the Waterfront? Or a little further away to Cardiff Bay retail park, where they can find everything there we have here, but all with massive amounts of parking?"

Although Joanna remains optimistic that the town will survive this upheaval, she is calling on the council to talk to residents and ask their opinions.

She added: "They keep saying they have a contingency plan. So what is it? And how about asking the residents living nearby how we feel?"

A Vale of Glamorgan Council spokesman said there was no further comment from the local authority, other than there are discussions on-going between council officials and a representative group of traders.