TYWYN Town Council has lost thousands of pounds in revenue because a car park ticket machine is not working, it has been claimed.

At the start of this year, Tywyn Town Council decided to take responsibility for the Cambrian Road Recreation Ground, used as a car park for the popular Talyllyn Railway, located just across the road.

The town council, who are trustees for the land, had licensed the management of the car park to the railway company for the sum of £1,200 a year for over two decades, but the town council has since decided it could collect more money by operating the car park and charging parking fees themselves.

Since taking over the car park in February, the town council has not received payment for a single ticket because a ticketing machine purchased several weeks ago is still not working.

Cllr John Pughe believes that by not charging during the last few months, the town council has forfeited between £4,000 and £5,000 which could have been spent “for the good of the town”.

Tywyn town clerk Francesca Pridding believes that sum is vastly over-inflated, however.

Cllr John Pughe told the Cambrian News: “We used to receive about £1,200 in rent from the TR annually so we’ve already lost over three times that sum due to inaction.

“It’s all money that could have been put towards resurfacing the recreation ground or something else that would have benefited the town.”

Read the full story in today’s Meirionnydd edition of the Cambrian News