THE introduction of car parking charges in Barry by the Vale of Glamorgan Council has been the hot topic of late in the Barry & District News.

The Labour-run council’s decision is short-sighted and simply put, a money-spinner for the local authority.

The move could decimate our struggling high streets in the Vale, which are already heavily challenged by out-of-town retail parks with ample free parking.

The Welsh Conservatives have set out our plans to revitalise our high streets (visit our website for more information) as they should be the bustling heart of a community rather than feature vacant and dilapidated shop fronts.

By regenerating our local high streets, we can take a significant step forward in nurturing growth in our economy, creating jobs and making Wales a more prosperous nation.

Unfortunately, decisions such as the Vale Council’s will set our high streets back years. I’d be very interested to learn what discussions Labour’s Vale AM has had with her council colleagues over this inexplicable decision.

This year’s Vale Show once again showcased the very best of the Vale of Glamorgan. In what has been a mixed summer, we were very fortunate to have such good weather and it was great to catch up with old friends and meet plenty of new faces too.

A lot of thanks must go to everyone who made it all possible, including competitors, stewards, organisations with trade stands and of course all those who attended. I’d also like to give a special mention to general secretary Sarah Fenner and her team who did a superb job in organising Wales’ best one-day show.

This month, I was also pleased to host an economic forum in the Vale of Glamorgan with members of the business community; from larger organisations - including Lafarge Tarmac, to smaller local businesses and voluntary organisations such as Pride in Barry.

Alongside the newly selected Conservative candidate for the Vale, Ross England, the forum provided an excellent opportunity to engage with the local community, listen to views, inform policy and discuss new and alternative ways forward in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Like Alun Cairns and I, Ross is determined to deliver change for Barry and the Vale at Cardiff Bay and this can only be achieved by delivering a Welsh Conservative Government at Cardiff Bay. We would implement policies to improve our economy, public services and ultimately put more money into your pockets – the taxpayer – rather than Welsh Government vanity projects such as Cardiff Airport.