I HAVE lived here in Barry for almost 40 years and I know many people from the valley towns, many of which like to come to Barry Outdoor Market on a Tuesday.

They park in Thompson Street car park and they come here because, up to now, the parking is free.

They now tell me they will not be coming when the charges to park are implemented.

Teachers in Holton Road School will now have to pay £25 per week just to come to work that means they will be out of pocket by over £1,000 per year.

The whole situation is looking crazy.

Low paid shop workers will also have the benefit of paying these exorbitant charges up to £30 per week if they work six days a week. Councillor John thinks this is fair.

No free parking means less customers for an already run down and depleted shopping area, less customers mean more shops will close thereby reducing the amount of tax the council collects from these business's each year.

So what will the council gain?

Nothing, they will lose so much in lost council tax they will have to put the car parking fees up and more shops will close, so on and so forth.

So the council are on a no brainer unless it wants to promote out of town shopping precincts by redirecting shoppers from our town centre to such precincts.

Where some of these councillors come from just beats me, some of the ones making decisions like this appear to have no the common sense at all.

Barrie V Evans

Co-ordinator Barry First Group

Barry Voice