No parking tickets on winter Sundays?

Jun 11 2009 North Wales Weekly News

PARKING tickets shouldn’t be issued in Llandudno on winter Sundays according to a councillor.

Alun Barrett claims booking people for parking on days when there are empty parking spaces in the town centre and on the promenade alienates shoppers and tourists.

“It’s absurd that on quiet Sundays in winter, parking attendants are being paid to go around booking motorists for overstaying their parking time or for not paying parking fees when there are plenty of empty parking spaces.

“I believe there are visitors, who in all probability, having been booked, will never visit the town again,” he said.

He would like Conwy County Council to withdraw parking attendants from the streets on Sundays from the end of October until March.

“This removal of parking attendants on Sundays for a small number of weeks will encourage people to visit the area on a Sunday in the quiet winter months.

“By doing this the council would show it is supportive of an incentive to encourage visitors and locals to eat, drink, shop and enjoy themselves during what is usually a quiet trading period.

“A similar scheme operates in Manchester and seems to work very well,” he said.

He put a notice of motion to a recent meeting of Llandudno Town Council asking councillors to support the idea.

“They were very supportive and I will now take this to the county council in the hope it will be given favourable consideration,” he added.

Llandudno Hospitality Association chairman, David Williams welcomed the idea.

“Some resorts do relax parking restrictions in the winter, and some smaller resorts also dispense with parking charges to encourage people to visit.

“Both the Hospitality Association and the Llandudno regeneration partnership are anxious for Conwy County Council to address parking issues and I’m sure will support this suggestion which make a lot of sense,” he said.