THE OWNER of a plumbing and heating supplies shop on Broad Street, Barry has spoken about the devastating impact people parking outside the premises is having on his business.
Matthew Thomas-Evans, 33, has owned C&H Plumbing and Heating Supplies since 2017, and with no communal car park nearby, his customers rely on the small number of spaces directly outside his shop when visiting.
Mr Thomas-Evans began working for the company a decade ago when it was run by John Dungey, and having gained experience, he bought the business from Mr Dungey shortly before his death from cancer.
In the years since, Mr Thomas-Evans has faced numerous logistical challenges, including those brought by the pandemic, but he says that the parking issue is the biggest problem he now has: “A combination of factors has made the situation far worse in recent times. We’ve lost three parking spaces for two electric charging points that aren’t used.
“There are two primary schools within a short walking distance, and people connected to them are parking outside my shop for much of the day, as are those waiting for work to be done at a nearby car garage.
“I arrive at 7.45 every morning and I have to park my own vehicle 700 yards up the road. People delivering supplies to my shop are having to double park, which is legal, but I know the police aren’t happy about it.
“We’ve come through Covid, various government policies that haven’t made my life any easier, including Rachel Reeves’s National Insurance hike on employers, but this parking issue is by far the biggest problem I have at the moment,” he said.
Mr Thomas-Evans says he has contacted his local councillors and the newly-elected Labour MP for the Vale, Kanishka Narayan, and despite being disappointed with their response so far, he is calling on them to work with him to find a solution: “I feel like I’m on my own, there’s a real sense with the small business community in Barry at the moment that the council isn’t on our side.
“I want the council to acknowledge there’s an issue and to work with me on finding a way through this. They did it on High Street where there’s a two-hour maximum stay and I want that to be reciprocated to the area outside my shop, so that the available space can be used by my customers and delivery people between 6am and 8pm.
“Taking this simple step would go a very long way towards securing the long-term viability of my business. I’ve even offered to pay for the sign, but the council still doesn’t want to know, and I haven’t even received a reply from Mr Narayan.
“People tell me they really like the shop and the level of customer service we offer, but that they’re having to go to Screwfix, Toolstation and B&Q instead of supporting a local business simply because there’s nowhere to park,” he said.
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