An end to free parking will hurt businesses, say shop owners who want to ‘Make Canton great again’
SHOP owners in Canton are fighting back against Cardiff Council’s decision to get rid of free parking close to Cowbridge Road East.
Carparks on Gray Street, Harvey Street, Severn Road and Wellington Street all currently offer two hours free parking to shoppers, but this is set to change later in the year.
Under current proposals, two hours of parking will now cost £2 with a further £1.50 jump if you wish to add an extra 60 minutes.
This is in line with the changes being made to parking across Cardiff including in Whitchurch and Penylan.
But members of the Cowbridge Road East Traders Association (CRETA), a group made up of shop owners on the street, are urging people to reject proposals and force the council to reconsider.
Richard Swambo, who has worked at Laura’s Fruit Shop for over 35 years, is active in the campaign.
“It’s not about the pound increase,” he said.
“It is nice that somebody can come down to Canton and know they are parking for free.
“They can come down have a coffee and go shopping. The issue isn’t necessarily the pound, it’s the message behind it. They talk about saving the high street, how is this saving the high street?”
The 55-year-old has erected a hand-painted sign in Gray Street carpark to raise people’s awareness of the issue.
“We need a bit of people power for the council to actually do something,” he told me.
“Canton used to a be a really busy place, take a look outside now and it is quiet. We can’t have more of that, they are killing the high street.”
Further down the road is Zero Plus fish and chip shop, owned by CRETA chairman Zohaib Hussain.
The 38-year-old has been speaking to the council on behalf of affected shop owners.
“No one is happy about it, not one person has said this is alright or this will be good for business,” he said.
“All we want is a level playing field. If our carparks are not going to free then neither should the ones at Western Avenue or at the Capital Shopping Park.”
Business owners will be the ones paying the price for the council’s decision according to Mr Hussain.
“You talk about a cost of living crisis for consumers, it’s cost of living crisis for businesses,” he said.
“We didn’t have the cap on energy like others did, it just seems as if everything is going against us.
“I have had some shopkeepers crying their eyes out at the potential impact of this.”
A petition started by CRETA on change.org received almost 12,000 signatures across the wards of Canton, Whitchurch and Riverside. But, according to Mr Hussain, the council rejected it because it did not contain the relevant postcodes.
‘It’s like legal stealing’
Shoppers who regularly visit the road have also been left confused and annoyed by the plans.
Bill Gambarini, 44, lives in Llandaff and said he would rather shop closer to home than pay the money.
“It would be a real nuisance for me. Who wants to pay extra money – especially as the machines never seem to work,” he said.
Guru Prasad, who travels from Cardiff Bay, would not make the journey if the parking was no longer free.
“We are already paying a lot of money to the council, inflation is high and prices are increasing everywhere,” said the 45-year-old.
“Electricity has gone up, council tax has gone up. It’s like legal stealing.”
The last line of Mr Swambo’s sign reads “Make Canton great again.”
This resonated with Mr Prasad who worries that the businesses on Cowbridge Road will struggle to cope with reduced footfall.
“I have always come shopping here since I moved to the city. It’s great and has all the shops I need.
“I think many people will be put off now.”
A Cardiff Council spokesperson said: “The council’s budget position for the last two years has been challenging. Difficult decisions have had to me made, which includes the removal of the free one or two hour parking in residential shopping areas.
“As a council we must encourage people to become less reliant on their private car. To do this, we are investing significantly in cycling and walking routes, as well as improving the infrastructure for bus travel.
“By investing in public transport and active travel, we will provide a credible alternative to travelling by private car.”
