Christmas parking charges anger

Bob Anderson said free parking used to attract more business

A local authority has been accused of lacking 'good will' after it scrapped its free Christmas parking scheme.

Traders in Caernarfon are angry as they claim they only found out about the change when they rang Gwynedd council to ask for an extension to the scheme.

Gwynedd Council said it decided not to offer the perk in its 41 pay-and- display car parks to save money.

The scheme ran for 11 years. On average the multi-storey car park in Caernarfon takes £1,750 a day.

"I rang the council to ask for more free parking because I was arranging advertising for the Chamber of Trade," said local businessman Bob Anderson.

"I'm very disappointed especially as we were looking for more support because of the work on redeveloping the maes going on at the moment.

"The free parking would have encouraged more people to come here to shop," he said.

There does not seem to be any goodwill here Gwyn Williams, shopper

Mr Anderson said businesses in the town depended on the support of local people especially at Christmas.

The Chamber of Trade were still keen to promote the Christmas spirit in the town, he added, and the big screen would be back again this year featuring school children singing carols.

Users of the multi-storey car park at the centre of Caernarfon said they were disappointed about the end of the free parking scheme.

"They have been quite clever and have reduced the charges recently, but as a pensioner I'm not happy," said shopper Gwyn Williams, from Caeathro.

"There does not seem to be any goodwill here," he said.

Charging structure

Caernarfon resident Tracey Shepherd said locals were being penalised,

Mari Edward, from Ffrwd Cae Du, said the lack of free parking was a "great pity".

"It did attract people into the town," she said.

A Gwynedd council spokesman said the council board decided in February to introduce a new charging structure for all car parks.

Part of that decision, he added, was not to provide free parking over the Christmas period.