Free parking at Llanelli’s Murray Street Multi Storey car park is supporting traders in the town centre.

The free parking, designed for shopping convenience, is for four hours after 10am in the morning to prevent spaces being occupied and blocked for the day by office staff.

 

The ground floor of the multi storey car park serves as the home for Llanelli busy indoor market.

Fruiterer and florist there, Will Seward, said: “We have had the free parking regime since November last year but despite publicity shoppers did not seem to be aware of it.

He said: “I asked if a large sign could be put up at the entrance to the car park and it happened overnight this week and it has already had an impact.

“It just goes to show that free parking does influence shoppers habits so it is a big thank you to the county council for this concession and to have acted so quickly with the sign. It is a big help to traders in these highly competitive and financial strained times.”

The first phase of a £1.7million face-lift of the 41-year-old multi storey car park has started. This work on levels seven and six will mean losing more than 100 car parking spaces of the 525 available in the short term. The number of spaces lost will reduce as the lower levels are tackled and completed by October to coincide with the opening of the £25million East Gate shopping and leisure development where another car park is planned.

The electronic sign indicating numbers of spaces available at the multi storey car park has had to be taken out of commission until this first phase of works is complete because of the varying numbers of spaces available on a daily basis.

Phases 1 and 2 are funded by Carmarthenshire County Council’s Capital Programme.

Replacement of the existing lighting will save approximately £9,000 year in running costs, on an invest to save basis.