FREE car parking is set to be scrapped in Newport city centre council-owned car parks.

Labour cabinet member for infrastructure Ken Critchley has decided to axe a two-year-old scheme that allowed shoppers to pop into council-owned multi-storey car parks free of charge for two hours.

From December 3 to the end of January shoppers will be able to use the car parks for five hours and pay nothing, but from February 1, motorists will pay £1 for a three-hour period.

The charges will apply to both multi-storey and payand- display car parks.

Council officers argue the free scheme is no longer financially sustainable – with the Argus previously reporting that the scheme cost £850,000 per year.

The decision has been criticised by Tory and Labour councillors, with Conservative Cllr David Fouweather saying it did nothing to encourage more shoppers to the city and was a “stab in the back” for traders.

“The council has offered free five-hour parking with one hand and snatched it back by introducing a charge with the other,” said Cllr Fouweather.

His group’s leader, Cllr MatthewEvans, said it was a “poor show”. “The figures showed the two-hour free parking was a great success,” he said. Tom Bond, Labour councillor for Rogerstone, said it gives mixed messages to traders and customers.

Labour’s Kate Thomas, councillor for Stow Hill, objected, saying the council is introducing another “own goal” to put people off the centre.

The free parking plan was introduced by the Tory-Lib Dem administration in December 2010.

We’ll be cut off, says furious trader

TONY Turner, of A.D Turner and Sons Butchers in Newport Market, hit out at the decision, calling it “absolute nonsense”.

Mr Turner said: “There’s no consideration from this council at the moment.

We’re trying to run businesses in the market and they’ve taken our buses away and now our parking.

They’ve done everything to virtually cut us off.”

Mr Turner said the free parking needs to continue until the city centre is viable again.

He said: “Otherwise we’re finished. They don’t care what it costs them.

But it’s going to cost them their city centre if they don’t start working with us.”

Mr Turner said he employs six staff but said he won’t be able to keep them all on after January.

He said: “How the hell can I keep three or four men going when I don’t have any customers because they can’t get in?”

Matt Jarrett, co-owner of Diverse Records in Usk Street, said the decision seems a “backward step” but said there are bigger issues involved.

Mr Jarrett said: “Come the new year people will resort to going back to Cardiff and Cwmbran anyway because they have more shops.”