Message from our MP Alun Cairns

"NEW - PARKING CHARGES! At a time when the High St is in serious danger of not surviving, I can’t believe that the Vale Council wants to introduce parking charges.Coronavirus has created significant challenges for businesses and parking charges will add further difficulties, destroying local businesses. 

I am worried about the impact these proposals will have in all our shopping and coastal areas.

I also worry about the impact the charges will have on community initiatives like Barry Island Park Run, which will only suffer as a result.

The Council was wrong to think that any introduction was reasonable but in the current context they must now completely scrap their plans.Details of the proposals can be found here:

Contact The Vale of Glamorgan Council

You can object to the proposals by writing to Director of Environment & Housing, Vale of Glamorgan Council, The Alps, Wenvoe, CF5 6AA or to c1v@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk - Ref IF922 by the 19th June 2020

I hardly, if ever, use the car parking in Cowbridge but realise its imprtance to our local businesses & community life, so I emailed to object as shown below. To save time you may use any of this text to support your own objection:

FAO Director of Environment & Housing (Ref. IF922)

I write to object to the proposed order Ref. IF922 to impose car parking charges in Vale Car Parks. Wherever these charges have been applied throughout the UK they have always always resulted in killing the local business which rely on footfall for their livelihood and custom.

There is something perverse in thinking just by charging for car parking this will result in raising more revenues for the local authority. The very businesses which are already struggling to pay their rates and rent will be dealt a killer blow if these charges are allowed to proceed. 

Please remember lowering costs for businesses and the public is going to be crucial to kickstart our national and local economies when the lockdown ends.

You will with one stroke cause our local market towns to become 'ghost towns' devoid of any businesses to attract visitors whether they are tourists, potential customers or potential residents. 

Have you studied the impact of charging for car parking? 

If so, what did this tell you? 

I challenge you to present the evidence to rate payers and businesses to suport imposing car parking charges?

What do you think will happen when people visiting search for free off road car parking? 

Do you care?

I realise initially you propose the first 2 hours would be free. There’s no guarantee that the first 2 hours would always be free?

Like any ‘tax' this parking charge would, once imposed, never be scrapped & would increase over time strangling the very life you're supposed to be engaged & employed to support.

Please reconsider this foolish initiative before you loose all credibility and call into question the benefit you purport to present to your employers the rate payers.