A war of words has broken out between the leader of Ceredigion County Council and the First Minister over car park charges in the county.

Eluned Morgan MS says the price increases at council-owned car parks are a ‘disaster’ for the local economy, which Plaid Cymru’s Ceredigion County Council leader, Cllr Bryan Davies says is ‘a bit rich’ when the county is one of the lowest funded in Wales.

Ms Morgan made the comments following a meeting with local businesses and car park users across the county.

In many Ceredigion council managed car parks the minimum charge is around £4 for two hours, with £3 for the first two hours being charged in some smaller towns.

Calling on Ceredigion County Council to reverse the price increases, Ms Morgan said: “The message I am hearing loud and clear from communities across Ceredigion is that these increases are a disaster for the local economy at a time when the impacts of the cost of living crisis still exist.”

On a recent visit to Aberystwyth, Ms Morgan noticed that the same charging structure was in place at the Ceredigion Council managed car park adjacent to the North Road Clinic, Eluned said: “Unlike in England, the Welsh Labour Government provides free parking if you’re using NHS facilities. However, the Plaid-led council is charging for the use of parking spaces next to North Road clinic. That cannot be right.

“Councils like Ceredigion should be doing all they can to support and promote our small businesses, especially in places like Cardigan. But as I have clearly heard from the people I have spoken to, their charging regime is putting people off.

“Cardigan is a brilliant example of a town that is bucking the national trend of shop closures and empty premises, but that could all be under threat as a result of Plaid’s policy. They need to admit they’ve got this wrong and implement a fairer charging structure as a matter of urgency.”

Responding to the First Minister’s comments, the Plaid Cymru leader of Ceredigion County Council, Cllr Bryan Davies, said: "Ceredigion Council is one of the two lowest funded councils by Eluned Morgan’s Welsh Government this year.

“It is a bit rich for her to criticise our funding decisions when she has it within her gift to alleviate our financial pressures and ensure we receive a fairer funding settlement, on a par to that provided by her to Labour-run authorities in south Wales.

“I call on the First Minister to commit to providing an above-average funding settlement to Ceredigion and other rural councils for next year’s pre-election budget, so that we can alleviate the pressures on our Ceredigion taxpayers and businesses.”

The price hike was approved by the Plaid Cymru Cabinet at Ceredigion County Council in January despite receiving more than 200 objections.

The aim of the increase was to bring in a total income of £1.7m a year in an attempt to balance the books, with traders at the time accusing the council of being ‘greedy’.