Kit PetersCASWELL: 94 drivers ticketed in bank holiday ‘chaos’ — now tow-aways could be on the table
Drivers who parked illegally around Caswell Bay during the recent bank holiday could face more than a ticket in future — with Swansea Council giving consideration to a clearway that would see cars on yellow lines towed away.
The move was revealed by Bishopston councillor Lyndon Jones, who said 94 cars were ticketed for parking on yellow lines around the popular Gower beach over the late May bank holiday weekend.
“To say that car parking in Caswell Bay was chaotic over the recent bank holiday weekend, would be an understatement,” he said. “It was the perfect storm, hot weather on a bank holiday.”
Cllr Jones said hundreds of people had been in touch with him about the problem, and that he had raised it with the director concerned at Swansea Council and the local police inspector over the bank holiday weekend itself — before arranging a meeting with the council’s chief executive.
He and Team Mumbles councillors Will Thomas and Angela O’Conner then met council officers from tourism, recycling, traffic enforcement and car parks to work through the issues.
Top of the list was the chaos in the car park itself, with the councillors calling for more resource on bank holidays and weekends forecast to be sunny.
They also raised the beach’s ticket machine — which is sometimes out of order, leaving visitors unable to pay because very few people can get a phone signal at Caswell to book online.
Litter, and the times litter picking takes place, was also discussed.
One of the more striking issues raised was that RNLI volunteers could not park in the car park during the bank holiday rush. “They are there to keep bathers safe, so designated car parking spaces need to be allocated to them,” said Cllr Jones.
The councillors also suggested moving the disabled parking spaces — currently in the car park on the hill coming into Caswell — into the main car park, with the existing spaces given over to general parking.
An early police presence was proposed as a deterrent to drivers parking on the yellow lines on the hills out of Caswell towards Bishopston and Newton.
“We were told that 94 cars received tickets for parking on yellow lines,” said Cllr Jones. “Consideration is being given to create a clearway, which means any cars parking on yellow lines would be towed away.”
A park and ride service to reduce traffic to the bay was also suggested.
“As you can see, we discussed some important issues and there is a lot for the officers to consider, but I hope you agree, doing nothing is not an option,” he said, thanking officers for what he called their constructive engagement.
A follow-up meeting is being arranged to discuss progress, with the issue also set to be raised in person with the police.
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