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Councillors are looking at whether free parking at council-owned car parks can continue beyond the end of the year.

A group of seven councillors, made of three Labour members, three Plaid Cymru members and an independent member, are investigating whether the council’s policy of free parking can be extended for a further six months.

In June this year, the council made all council-owned car parks in the borough free to use until the end of the year, in an attempt to support businesses that had been hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

The cross-party Task and Finish group, chaired by Llanbradach ward councillor Rob Gough, has been meeting to discuss the future of car parking charges in the borough.

Cllr Gough said the group, which was set up in 2017 to look at car parking in the borough, will finalise its work this month.

A report will then be debated by a joint scrutiny committee before being presented to executive cabinet for a final decision in December.

Plaid Cymru group leader, Councillor Colin Mann, had put forward a motion calling for an extension. This has since been withdrawn.

Cllr Mann, who represents the Llanbradach ward, said: “After talking to various signatories to the motion, we have decided that it is best to suspend the motion for the time being.

“Depending on the outcome of the Task and Finish group – along with a joint scrutiny committee which has been scheduled to discuss the findings – we can, of course, reintroduce the motion at a later date.

“We hope that everyone will get behind the introduction of free parking to help traders across Caerphilly, who are struggling to make ends meet as we enter another lockdown.

“They do need all the help they can get and free parking would help attract shoppers.”

Cllr John Ridgewell, cabinet member for environment and infrastructure, said: “This council made the decision to waive car parking charges at the start of the pandemic, when many other local councils chose not to.
“There is a cost associated with offering free parking, so everything will need to be considered in the round.

“However, I feel it’s important that the cross-party Task and Finish Group should be allowed to reach their conclusions without being unduly influenced by a notice of motion.”

A council spokesperson said: “We appreciate that we are still very much in the response phase of the pandemic and we are doing all that we can as an authority to support our community, in particular the business community, to survive and recover from the effects of Covid-19.

“We are working closely with our retailers as part of a Christmas campaign to encourage residents to shop local.

“We are committed to providing free parking in the town centres for the remainder of 2020 with the view that this will be reviewed by the cross-party task and finish group in December.”