Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Town Council welcomed county councillors to its town council meeting 27th Jul’23 and heard of Powys County Council’s recent decision to conduct a comprehensive review of parking charges across the county. The move comes in response to mounting concerns about the impact of higher parking prices on town centres, leading to decreased footfall and adversely affecting local businesses.
In March this year your Town Council debated the significance of this issue and wrote to the cabinet member for finance and corporate transformation at Powys County Council to:-
1) Express the Town Council’s concern over the adverse impact on our town centre businesses, our residents who need to drive to our town centre and potentially our tourism plans and ambitions
2) Express the Town Council’s concern that we risk losing more of our town centre businesses
3) Request the cabinet member to review these increased charges with a view to not implementing these astronomical increases as it is unclear as to how the risks of losing more of our town centre businesses and not attracting the tourists we need will help to develop the vibrant economy he desires.
Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Town Council urged Powys County Council to carefully consider its views as a local representative body during the review process. It emphasised the potential risks that town centre businesses currently face due to high parking costs and underscores the significance of preserving the well-being of the community at large.
