Parking Charges FAQs
The Vale of Glamorgan Council is set to introduce charges at a number of its resort car parks and on-street in areas of Barry Island and Penarth Seafront to control congestion and generate income to support vital services in these locations.
Where are new parking charges being introduced?
Visitors will have to pay to park their cars at The Knap and Bron y Mor car parks in Barry, Cliff Walk car park in Penarth, and the Portabello and Westfarm car parks in Ogmore. On-street parking charges will also be introduced at Barry Island and Penarth Esplanade to make these areas consistent with the car parks nearby.
Parking charges will start at £2 for two hours.
Why are these charges being introduced?
The Council must make £7.8m in savings this year. Our budget strategy is to protect spending on schools and social care and find new ways to cover the cost of delivering other services.
These car parking changes, coupled with the potential closure of the Court Road multi-storey facility, could generate £500,000 per year and help address a significant budget shortfall, whilst at the same time helping to look after much-loved resort areas.
Many other coastal towns manage the cost of maintaining their resorts in this way.
Who will have to pay to park?
Parking charges will apply to everyone, but the main aim is to ensure that visitors to the Vale are helping to contribute to the maintenance of these areas.
On street parking charges will only apply from 10am – 6pm so parking will remain free for those that visit early in the morning or in the evening.
Coastal parking permits are also available at a cost of £60 for six months and £100 for a year. These parking permits help regular visitors, including local residents and those who work nearby, access our car parks at a relatively low cost.
Why is the Court Road car park being closed?
The Court Road car park is very expensive to maintain. With massive pressures on the Council’s budget we can no longer afford to meet these.
The Court Road car park costs around £89,000 to maintain each year. In addition to this a recent structural inspection identified required improvements of £247,000 that will need to be made in the coming years to keep the car park safe.
Car parking charges are being introduced in some car parks in the Vale to cover the cost of their management. Due to the sums of money required to run Court Road this is simply not a practical option for this car park.
Where will people be able to park in Barry town centre?
Kendrick Road, Thompson Street, and Wyndham Street car parks all provide affordable parking for shoppers in the town centre. There are also free parking spaces on Wyndam Street, Holton Road and Thompson Street.
Barry town centre is also served by public transport. There are numerous bus routes that serve Wyndham Street, including the 88, 93, 94, 95, 100, 304, B1, B2, and B3. These services connect Barry, Penarth, Dinas Powys, Sully, Llandough, and Cardiff.
Won’t this cause more people to park in residential areas in Barry and Penarth?
There are already a number of parking restrictions in place in the residential areas surrounding Barry Island and Penarth seafront to ensure residents are able to park near to their homes.
Parking restrictions at Barry Waterfront will be extended early this year to help prevent and overspill from the resort.
On street parking in Barry and Penarth will continue to be monitored and additional restrictions can be brought in if required.