The staff and members car parks at the three council centres – Port Talbot, Neath and The Quays – will no longer be free. The forward plan approved by the council last month envisaged car park charges as one measure of cost-saving in these difficult times, and a scheme has now been proposed. Subject to consultation over the details, this will come into force on 1st May.

The scheme will be fair in that both members and staff will have to pay on the same basis. Personally, I hope that its introduction will cause more people to consider whether they need to drive in to work regularly, though I accept that there is no alternative for many: those who live in parts of the borough not served by public transport, or those who work in the Quays where there is only an hourly bus service.

Special arrangements will be made for invited visitors.

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