CAR parking issues at County Hall in Usk are causing traffic problems and frustration, a meeting has heard.

At its meeting on Monday, Monmouthshire’s Democratic Services Committee discussed the ongoing issues around the car park which serves staff and councillors

Councillor David Evans (Labour, West End ward), chairman of the committee, said an exit barrier operated by pass cards for members usually does not work.

“It does not work 99 per cent of the time and it is causing frustration,” he told the meeting.

“Members get to the barrier and they try to use their pass cards but it does not work and then they have to press the button and ask them to open it.”

Councillor Tudor Thomas (Labour, Priory) said the tailback of traffic caused by the barrier not working becomes a “major problem.”

Councillor Thomas said the “crocodile teeth” traffic control plates, aimed at preventing motorists exiting through the entrance to the car park, are also broken.

Councillors voted in support of a proposal by Councillor Sheila Woodhouse (Conservative, Grofield), that a review is carried out.

Charges increase across county

Meanwhile car parking charges in all the authority’s existing paying car parks is set to rise from Monday, July 2.

Public notices published in today’s Chronicle reveal that charges are set to increase with charges at Abergavenny’s Castle Street car park rising to £1.10 for up to 2 hours, £1.70 for up to three hours, £2.20 up to four hours or £4.40 all day.

The cost of parking in the town’s ‘free’ car park at Byefield Lane on a Tuesday will increase from £3 to £3.30.

Figures released last year revealed that Monmouthshire’s car parks earned a surplus of almost £1 million a year for the local authority with the county sitting sixth in a league table of Welsh councils’ parking incomes.

For the financial year 2016-17, Monmouthshire made a surplus of £929,000 from parking - a stark contrast to neighbouring Blaenau Gwent, where the local authority lost £836,000 in the same period, and Torfaen who lost £72,000.

The figures, released by the RAC Foundation show Monmouthshire’s income from parking has remained static for two years but is more than double what it was five years ago.