SIMPLIFIED changes to parking charges at Ceredigion car parks which will cost drivers at least £3 to park have been backed by senior councillors despite hundreds of objections.
At the Ceredigion County Council Cabinet meeting of January 21 members approved the implementation of proposed Off Street Charging Structures following previous Cabinet support and a later public consultation, with an exemption of charges for Blue Badge Holders, which led to an increase of 50p on each charge.
A report for members of Ceredigion County Council’s Cabinet, last September, 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, and to have two bands with standardised tariffs for general parking, 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 simplified charges and arrangements will see Ceredigion Coastal (Aberaeron, Aberystwyth, Cardigan and New Quay) rates and Ceredigion Inland (Lampeter, Llandysul and Tregaron) rates for general parking.
The charges agreed are as follows.
Ceredigion Coastal: 2hrs £4, 3hrs* £4.50 (Greenfield Square only), 4 hours £5, 24 hours £7.
Ceredigion Inland: Lampeter, Llandysul and Tregaron: 2hrs £3, 4 hrs £4, 24 hrs £5.
For comparison, current rates in New Quay are: one hour £2.60, two hours £3.80, 24 hours £6.60.
Cllr Keith Henson, Cabinet Member for Highways & Environmental Services and Carbon Management, presenting the report and proposals to members, the season ticket offers, ranging from £90 to £295 depending on time period, would offer a significant decrease in the daily price and would be useable across the county’s car parks.
Some 226 objections were received, raising concerns including residents already pay Council Tax and that Council Tax payers should get free parking, the proposed Season Ticket charges are too high for those on low incomes and / or that the current admin fee and requirement to pay 3 months upfront is prohibitive, and objections to charging in New Quay Car Parks all year round on the basis that the car parks will be quiet over the winter period and the cost of monitoring and enforcing payment would outweigh the income received.
Cabinet members backed the new charges along with the necessary traffic regulation orders.