CARDIGAN traders are calling on townspeople to unite in a candlelit procession from the Grosvenor Hotel to the Guildhall in the coming weeks to demonstrate their continuing opposition to parking charges.

The town’s business leaders have decided on this course of action after becoming infuriated by Ceredigion County Council’s steadfast refusal to introduce free parking periods.

The traders, who maintain parking fees have “crippled” the town centre, claim a “business boom” last summer was triggered by the town’s parking machines being vandalised.

And this week they publicly challenged Cardigan’s three county councillors – Plaid Cymru’s Catrin Miles and John Adams-Lewis and Welsh Liberal Democrat Mark Cole – to give their renewed campaign full backing.

“Round one is over and round two is about to begin,” Cardigan Traders chairman Martin Radley told the Cambrian News.

“We would have been satisfied with just two hours’ free parking, but the county council doesn’t appear to have given that any consideration at all.

“Events have proved free parking does make a difference to town centres. The benefits over Christmas were there for all to see, yet the council has just shown no willingness to pursue this long-term.”

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