PARKING charges are coming to Barry town centre, with fees for using three busy car parks being approved by the Vale council.

The plans - to implement charges at the Wyndham Street, Thompson Street and Kendrick Road car parks - will raise an estimated £70,000 per year for the Vale council when they are brought in, sometime before the end of the financial year.

In their report to the Vale council's cabinet, independent consultants Capita have also recommended against keeping the whole of the Holton Road multi-storey car park free of charge, proposing that by charging for the use of the lower floors the council could create between £7,000 and £14,000 revenue per year.

The decision has been criticised by town centre councillor Ian Johnson who said the plans will drive people away from Holton Road and surrounding areas in favour of free parking elsewhere.

He accused the Labour-led council of protecting its own interests "rather than the community that it is supposed to serve".

Cabinet member, councillor Gwyn John has assured people that "there is no firm evidence" that charges would lead to a reduction in footfall, explaining that the charges are geared towards creating an increased turnover, freeing up parking spaces for shoppers popping in to town rather than those who would otherwise sit in a space all day.

The "phase one" charges for the three town centre car parks were approved by the Vale of Glamorgan's cabinet on Monday (July 27), with "phase two" charges for the multi-storey to be considered at a later date.

Charges at two car parks in Cowbridge town centre were also approved with a proposed £133,500 being raised per year.

Plaid Cymru councillor Ian Johnson (Buttrills) has warned the council that "bringing in charges to fill their own coffers rather than to benefit shop owners and shoppers" puts the town centre at risk.

“The Vale Council wants to introduce car parking charges in the centre of Barry, even though there will be no benefits for local shoppers, residents or shop owners," he said.

“Some shoppers will try to avoid paying these new charges and so even more will park on already busy residential streets, while some will avoid Barry town centre altogether and do their shopping elsewhere - on the Waterfront or outside Barry entirely.

"With the economy still only slowly recovering and a need to increase footfall in Holton Road, I cannot understand why the council are trying to chase it away, rather than promote the town centre.

“The Council are putting Holton Road’s future at risk for an annual income of £70,000 through car park fees. This makes absolutely no sense."

The report written by consultants Capita states that Barry has ample on-street parking for shoppers and residents close to the town centre and that there are "unlikely to be significant adverse effects" caused by people choosing to park in residential street to avoid charges.

Capita does acknowledge, however, that there is a risk of people "taking their custom elsewhere" if parking charges are too great.

Cllr Gwyn John, Cabinet Member for Visible and Leisure Services, said: “Car parking is a very difficult issue to address and I would suggest anyone with an interest should read the report before commenting on its content.

“Due to central government cuts the Vale Council must meet a funding shortfall of £25m over the next three years. The introduction of car parking charges is not, however, just about generating much needed income.

“The report, conducted by an independent consultant, makes clear that car parking charges are needed within Barry and Cowbridge to ensure the most efficient and effective use of spaces.

"It also makes clear that Barry has an abundance of parking with ample on-street parking for shoppers and residents close to the town centre.

"The proposed charges are in line with those of comparable towns in south Wales and considerably lower than those in neighbouring Cardiff.

"We are confident that increasing parking turnover, and so the number of shoppers and visitors, will help our town centres and resorts thrive by increasing the availability of spaces and reducing congestion."

Cllr Johnson countered that “if this was about turn-over of traffic, then that could be done without charging users, just putting a time limit on their stay. Instead, they have chosen to penalise town centre shoppers, and, by extension, the shops that they use.

“Sadly, the Vale of Glamorgan Council increasingly exists to protect its’ own interests rather than the community that it is supposed to serve.

“This is all about savings from their budget and nothing to do with what is best for Barry.”

The proposals are set to be discussed at an an upcoming scrutiny committee meeting, and will also be subject to public notice where objections will be considered.