News

Staff parking on double yellow lines

STAFF at the new Welsh Assembly Government office in Aberystwyth are having to park on double yellow lines on an access road because there are not enough spaces in the car park.

And it can also be revealed that staff are being allowed to park their cars on the car park of Aberystwyth Rugby Club at a cost of £100 for six months, leading to an increase in the number of vehicles using Plascrug Avenue.

Ceredigion councillors have accused the WAG of breaking its own transport plan after security staff asked staff and visitors to the office to park on double yellow lines on an access road to the new office.

One councillor has said the parking mess should stop the Assembly being awarded a green award for sustainable transport.

And questions have been asked as to why those parking on the double yellow lines have not been booked by a traffic warden.But a WAG spokesman has played down the use of the access road for parking, despite admitting that the office’s car park isn’t big enough to cope with large meetings.

Concerns about the lack of parking spaces for both the Assembly and council offices were raised when it emerged that there were less than 500 parking spaces for the two offices, despite more than 1,000 staff members being based there.

And Cllr Paul James accused WAG of double standards in trying to achieve a sustainable transport certificate while ignoring its own travel plan submitted as part of the planning application for the office.

Cllr Alun Williams said he knew that WAG staff had been contacted by Aberystwyth Rugby Club via the Assembly’s e-mail system with an offer of private parking for six months for £100. Cllr Williams said allowing that to happen was completely against the Assembly’s transport plan.

A WAG spokesman said: “We are actively trying to minimise car usage at the new Aberystwyth office. Staff are encouraged to walk or cycle to work, use public transport, or lift share when convenient to do so.

“During a few events where a significant number of people would attend, but for a relatively short period of time, we sought dispensation to use one side of the access road. Staff are not encouraged to use the access road for parking and are aware that they do so at their own risk.”

• See full story in this week's Aberystwyth edition of the Cambrian News