FREE parking could be extended for a further six months in council-owned car parks across Caerphilly county borough.

Council leader, Cllr Philippa Marsden has called for a report to be prepared which would recommend an extension of current free parking arrangements until the end of September.

The council has suspended charges at pay and display car parks until March 31 in a move first introduced last summer to help businesses hit by coronavirus restrictions and support residents in “staying local” for shopping.

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Cllr Marsden said: “We have waived charges in our car parks over recent months to help support residents and the local business community throughout the covid pandemic.

“The current arrangements are due to come to an end later this month, so I have requested a report to be prepared which will allow us to consider extending free parking for a further six months.”

Cllr Colin Mann, leader of the council’s Plaid Cymru group, said it may be necessary to keep free parking until the end of the year.

“There is clearly the need now to review the free parking period given that shops are still closed and it will take many, many months for high streets to return to anything like it was before the pandemic,” he said.

“The council needs to reflect on the difficulties traders will face when they reopen and it may be necessary that to confirm free parking should continue throughout the whole of 2021.”

The council said the economic climate remains “extremely challenging for town centres” and that it wants to show support as coronavirus restrictions are lifted over the coming months.

Cllr Sean Morgan, cabinet member for economy and enterprise, said: “As a council, we are doing all we can to support local businesses during these challenging times.

“As we hopefully start to see the easing of current coronavirus restrictions, we want to encourage residents to support the High Street.

“I am pleased that the cabinet will consider a further extension to our free parking concession until at least the end of September as part of this support.”

A report on the issue will be considered by the council’s cabinet on March 24.