Parking at Caerphilly Indoor Market is a headache for people living nearby, according to Assembly Member Jeff Cuthbert.
The Labour AM called for action to ease parking issues after visiting the market and entrepreneurs David and Alan Prosser.
Though he praised the “wonderful and innovative products” on sale, he said: “Unfortunately the bustle of business that the market generates does have a downside for some local residents.
“Recently it has been brought to my attention that since the market re-opened, car parking issues have worsened for those living in the surrounding areas.
“I will press the council on this and work with them to see what can be done to help local residents. Insufficient car-parking space in this area was an issue I was aware of long before the market re-opened.
“I am slightly surprised that they had not already taken this into account.”
Councillor Ron Davies, Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and Plaid’s Assembly candidate for Caerphilly, said: “Caerphilly is a shopping centre and the busier it gets the more traffic will be generated. We as a council worked extremely hard to help the market re open and are continuing to work with the operators in overcoming some of the teething problems.
“There are at least three good car parks within a short walking distance and as a council we are conscious of the need to protect local residents’ parking.
“It is pity that yet again good news for Caerphilly is met by whingeing from the AM. All this will do is undermine the hard work which everybody is doing to promote the town.”
Owen Meredith, the Conservative Assembly candidate for Caerphilly, said that a multi-storey car park in the town was needed.
He said: “I was delighted to see the Market bustling again when I visited on Saturday. It has a vital role to play in the much needed regeneration of the town and I want to see that bustle spread throughout the whole town centre.
“That is why am working with local businesses to see how we can enhance the look of the town and improve the offering to tourists and residents alike. A multi-storey car park at the top of town is one part of that.
“Unfortunately, successive Labour and Plaid administrations have failed to come up with a credible plan to make Caerphilly an economic and retail jewel in the crown of the South Wales Valleys.”
Jeff Cuthbert is right to highlight the parking issues in the Town, It is a pity he restricts his comments to the area around The Market.
Residents in the town suffer problems from illegal parkers every day of every week, yet this is the first time I have seen the issue highlighted by either Jeff or Ron.
The fact is that the town does not start and end in Cardiff Road, and the one or two local shops off it, the town is comprised of a huge majority of residents,and the streets in which they live, not shopkeepers, and it is these residents and thier families who are met by indiscriminate parking all over the residential streets, the Gwent Police can do little or nothing about it, the reason being that many of the parking orders lines are missing, and some of the signs are wrong, when did you last see a Traffic Warden booking a car which was illegally parked in the town?
The Caerphilly Council are clearly at fault, it is their duty to ensure the proper maintainence of these lines and signs, and they have failed to do so, so blame them!!!! but dont forget that parking is not one the local police priorities to deal with either,
The gwent police have provided a list of all the comprimised areas and the Council have failed for at least four months to do anything to rectify it, So, all in all, Jeff and Ron`s comments are political rheteric, and do not take account of the Residents position, they do seem to care however about the shopkeepers position hence this childish `spat` elections really are the time when those wishing to court the residents votes come out of the woodwork, where have they been for the last four years on the parking blight in this town? as a Councillor of course Ron has the power to do something about it as do his Plaid Colleagues, so come on get it done.