More on Free Parking

As soon as Denbighshire county council announced free parking at Park Road plus free town parking universally after 3 p.m., there almost immediately appeared posters in shop windows shouting the fact. Perhaps the poster campaign organisers know something councillors don’t, for the posters state that this concession was “for an initial two month period…” Note the term “initial”, which implies it will continue after the 17 January end date. We will see.

Whether it does or doesn’t, traders are making the most of the approximately two month parking bonanza.

The by now famous Rhuthun Blog Car Park Watch Team checked out Park Road twice before lunch, on Saturday. During the first visit there were 30/50 spaces occupied; this had risen to 39/50 at the time of the second. Early days, as this was only announced on Wednesday. Remember, you read it here first! Unless you saw it in Thursday’s Free Press. And signage in Rhuthun went up on Friday.

The complete seasonal Rhuthun free car parking offer available till 17 January 2010 is as follows:

• Park Road: free at all times.
• All other town centre car parks: free after 3 p.m.
• Two bonus free at all times free parking days throughout Rhuthun on Saturdays 5th and 12th December 2009.

The posters also make reference to free parking at the Canolfan Grefft/Craft Centre though this, of course, is strictly speaking available to centre visitors only.

As for free parking after 3 p.m., when the Car Park Watch Team checked yesterday at about 4.30, the town was quiet. Dog Lane car park was between two-thirds and three-quarters full but others were thin, especially Market Street and more so, Crispen Yard. There was plenty of on street space on Well Street, even more on a pretty deserted Wynnstay Road but, interestingly, little available space on Clwyd Street. There was also an assortment of illegally parked cars, on the Square and Well Street—and this in spite of free parking.

Meanwhile, the Tesco car park was two thirds full and there were over 100 people inside. This compared to just 11 in the Co-op.

Accompanying pictures show the unusual not-so-mobile home occupying one of three coaches only spaces at Park Road (perhaps it used to be a coach), the shop posters and the recycling centre in action, as shared with cars at Park Road.