Machynlleth Town Council has banned overnight parking and will introduce parking fees to a council-owned car park, despite opposition.
On 30 September eight of ten councillors voted to restrict parking in the ‘Old Celtica’ car park south of Y Plas council offices.
This comes after a summer of tension between council members and residents, with some opposing the proposed overnight parking ban, whilst others supported it.
According to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people who live in the area, the car park has been used as a safe stopping place since the early 2000s.
In a heated discussion at the council meeting, Councillors Kim Bryan and Norma McCarten opposed the ban, calling for further research to be done before a decision was made.
They accused the proposing councillor, Mayor Jeremy Paige, of not supplying a budget or plan for enforcing the changes.
Councillors Bryan and McCarten raised concerns of potential discrimination towards the Travelling community, and that the council had not considered the economic benefit of establishing the site as a paid-for camping spot.
Cllr Bryan said: “It's very disappointing that the council voted in favour of an ill-thought-out motion to introduce parking charges, that will impact local people and ban overnight camping.
“It is short-sighted and not in line with the council's need to raise funds from visitors to the area.
“The proposed plans are not costed or thought through, consultations with key stakeholders have not been considered, I cannot in any way endorse this decision.”
The motion was tabled in June to the shock of residents and van dwellers who use the site and had not been told of the proposal.
It proposes a £3 daily rate for parking, to prohibit overnight parking without a full-year permit, and that vehicles must be unoccupied overnight, whilst parking will be free for cemetery visitors and blue badge holders.
Cllr McCarten said she had identified Welsh government funding for facilities to create a short-stay campervan park for anyone including tourists.
She mentioned the possible use of a small section as a Negotiated Stopping place – an informal agreement between the council and Travelling groups to allow temporary stopping with agreed rules on things including facilities and waste disposal.
She stated this would be supported by Powys County Council, after officers informed her that there were no temporary stopping places (as opposed to permanent sites) for Gypsy, Roma or Traveller people anywhere in Wales, despite there being a legal duty to provide them.
Cllr Llinos Griffith said: “We're discussing people that we haven't been elected to represent.
“I've been speaking to a lot of people in town and agree with this proposal.
“They're the ones who elected us and the ones I've been listening to.”
However, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people including those who live in Machynlleth have full voting rights.
Two petitions submitted to the council in July amassing 167 signatures accused those camping at the car park of criminal activity including fly-tipping and drug dealing.
Dyfed-Powys police stated no reports of this nature had been received.
A letter signed by 86 residents, and nine separate letters from other residents, suggested those parking there had deterred criminal behaviour, removing fly-tipped waste, litter-picking and moving on people who were harassing young people and residents.
Cllr Macgarry said: “If we don’t go for this proposal we can’t charge for parking.
“We need to increase income to the council so we need to make that possible otherwise nothing happens.”
Cllr Paige said the council had the funds for “simple signage” adding: “Without planning permission and facilities it's not appropriate to have people in the car park overnight in a historic garden and park... which we are unlikely to get planning permission for.”
Cllr Bryan rebuffed this, quoting a town planner who advised planning permission isn’t needed, even near historic buildings, when there has been established use of overnight parking for over 10 years.
Cllr Paige declined to comment further.