Everyone who cares about their town has opinions about the direction that town should be going in.

Penarth Nub News serves as a platform upon which you can voice those opinions.

This afternoon, a short column from Plaid Cymru Community Councillor Chris Franks on why he disagrees with car parking charges being introduced at Cosmeston and Porthkerry parks.

They make no economic sense. Charging will mean that the car parks will incur government tax. This means that much of the income raised with go out of the Vale.

So, of the estimated £220,000 that motorists will have to pay once tax and extra costs are considered the surplus will amount to around £120,000. I wonder if they will even make this surplus.

The imposition of car parking charges in the Vale has over the last ten years been supported by both Labour and Tory Councillors. Parking fees will be payable at Cosmeston and Porthkerry Park as well as town centre sites.

Councillors of both parties have been led up the garden path by council officers who have been hell bent on changing in the face of massive public opposition. They have been too weak to stand up for the public.

With 150 formal objections to these plans it is outrageous that the Vale is behaving in this manner.

I endorse the comments of fellow Plaid Community Councillor Richard Grigg. He asked why the cabinet is so determined to impose charges in the face of huge public opposition. Over £64,000 of the income leaves the Vale in taxes. The Vale has a reputation for ignoring the views of the public.

The money raised will not be used to improve facilities for people visiting the parks or town centres. It will disappear into the Vale financial black hole. You would think that during a pandemic the county councillors would have more important issues to focus upon.

The views expressed here are not those of Nub News. Vale of Glamorgan Cllr Peter King, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services and Transport, has previously expressed his viewpoint in THIS article.