Local motorists are being warned not to park illegally in Ebbw Vale town centre and to use the new short-stay parking bays or nearby free car parks.
Blaenau Gwent Council and Gwent Police are working together to keep the town centre accessible to motorists and pedestrians alike. But a thoughtless few are spoiling their efforts.
Approximately 100 parking tickets have been issued to vehicles left on the new pedestrian areas in the past three months – a fixed penalty of £30 a time.
Ebbw Vale town centre was recently reopened to traffic 24 hours a day on a six-month trial basis until November to give local people the chance of using short-stay parking. But motorists need to park sensibly – as unlawfully parked vehicles pose a hazard to pedestrians, damage paving and deter visitors.
Before the trial through traffic was only allowed through the town before 11am and after 5pm. There are signs informing people where it is legal to park.
More than £1 million has been spent over the last two years to transform the town centre into an attractive shopping environment. The welcome improvements include Yolk Stone paving, stainless steel guard rails, new street furniture and the new town clock.
Blaenau Gwent Council’s Town Centre Manager Bethan Cartwright said:
“There are allocated parking bays for people making a short visit to the town centre. We ask that people only park in these and not in pedestrian areas. For anyone wishing to stay longer – and we hope people do – there is ample free parking at the multi-storey close by.
Parking on the pavements is unsafe and can cause an obstruction to people walking through town. It can also damage the new paving which is unsightly and costly to repair.
The traffic warden has issued fixed penalty notices in both Market Street and Bethcar Street recently. We want people to come to Ebbw Vale, enjoy their shopping experience and leave happy – not with a parking ticket!”
Ebbw Vale Neighbourhood Sergeant Bob Lewis, said:
“There have been a considerable number of motorists who have parked illegally on pedestrian areas over the last few months.
This blocks the pavements for pedestrians, forcing them out onto the road which can be very dangerous. I would ask that motorists consider the situation that they are creating for others and use the designated parking areas instead.”
