A consultation on changes to Ceredigion car parks which could see the end of off-season free parking, but dropping an initial proposal to make blue badge holders pay, has been backed by senior councillors.

On February 29, the council approved the budget for 2024/25, which included an expectation that £1,700,000 (net) in income is generated from existing Pay and Display car parks.

In July, officers presented a report to the Thriving Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee which set out a package of proposals which aimed to achieve this, as well as simplifying current charges and arrangements, in part through setting Ceredigion Coastal (Aberaeron, Aberystwyth, Cardigan and New Quay) and Ceredigion Inland (Lampeter, Llandysul and Tregaron) rates for general parking.

A report for members of Ceredigion County Council’s Cabinet, meeting on September 3, said: “Due to the significant financial challenges that the Council is facing, a failure to achieve the income expectation will result in a requirement for further budget savings to be found within Highways and Environmental Services beyond those already identified in the 2024/25 budget.

“It is on this basis that the package would need to be accepted in its entirety, and it would not be possible for some of the measures e.g. reduced season ticket prices to progressed without the other proposals also being progressed.”

The lengthy list of changes proposed include Changes to Season Ticket offering a new Ceredigion Long Stay Car Park Season Ticket (with a special option for North Road Car Park, Aberystwyth), extending Maesyrafon Car Park in Aberystwyth into the former Arriva Site, gaining approximately 150 spaces, and changes to Cardigan’s Pendre and Gloster Row / Red Lion Car Parks.

On the more general parking in the county, it is proposed to have two bands with standardised tariffs, along with all current seasonal car parks reverting to charging all year round, and all current seasonal car parks reverting to charging hours of 8am–6pm.

The proposed charges were: Ceredigion Coastal – Aberaeron, Aberystwyth, Cardigan and New Quay: 2 hours £3.50, 3 hours* £4 Greenfield Square only, 4 hours £4.50, 24 hours £6.50.

Ceredigion Inland – Lampeter, Llandysul and Tregaron 2 hrs 2.50, 4hrs 3.50, 24hrs 4.50.

For comparison, current rates in New Quay are: one hour £2.60, two hours £3.80, 24 hours £6.60.

It is also proposed that all blue badge holders pay to park, with an extra hour’s grace; currently only those entitled to £0 Vehicle Excise Duty have free parking.

A complication for the Cabinet proposals was the July committee recommending that charges proposed to Blue badge holders be omitted, leading to the need for an estimated extra £170,000 to be raised, through a roughly 50p increase in parking charges.

Ceredigion Coastal: 2hrs £4, 3hrs* £4.50, 4 hours £5, 24 hours £7.

Ceredigion Inland: Lampeter, Llandysul and Tregaron: 2hrs £3, 4 hrs £4, 24 hrs £5.

Cabinet members backed the launch of a consultation costed with the free blue badge parking option.