Craig-y-Don traders' anger at parking cuts

Sep 11 2008 by Judith Phillips, North Wales Weekly News

TRADERS in Craig-y-Don are opposing a retrospective application for permission to site a traffic island in Queen’s Road because the loss of parking spaces is hitting business.

The island was installed in the spring without consultation, according to the traders. It resulted in a taxi rank being moved and the loss of up to six parking places in the centre of the road.

Cllr Janet Finch-Saunders said: “Since they have painted the lines and placed the little island there, the parking problems have increased. I am very much of the opinion that these ranks should be returned to useable parking spaces and that we meet to discuss the possibility of allowing a kerbside taxi rank somewhere else. I fear that if these local traders are not supported they will be most demoralised.

“In this current economic climate we should be grateful that we are lucky enough to have these businesses working really hard against the odds to deliver a good service to our local residents and visitors.”

Scott Butterworth of Benards Gallery said the loss of parking spaces was a problem.

“It is definitely affecting business, customers are moaning because they can’t get close to the shop to park. For people who are collecting large pictures this is a real problem as they have to carry them some distance,” he said.

And he claimed the taxi rank was empty for much of the time.

“The only time you see taxis there are when the drivers are sitting in their cabs eating their lunch,” he claimed.

And Brian David of Ruscoe’s Newsagents said over 350 signatures had been gathered asking the council to move the taxi rank.

“The council seemed to be riding roughshod over us when they put the traffic island there and moved the taxi rank. Now they’ve applied for retrospective permission we’re strongly opposing it,” he said.

But Alan Cureton of the Llandudno Hackney Carriage Proprietors’ Association said he didn’t feel the taxi rank was causing a problem.

“We’re quite happy with it where it is. There has been a taxi rank there for 100 years; just because vehicles aren’t parked there all the time doesn’t mean it’s not used. A bus stop isn’t used for much of the day, but no one complains about them taking up parking spaces,” he said.

judith.phillips