CAR parking charges in one area of Gwent cannot be reviewed as planned as a council cannot afford to do the work. 

Monmouthshire County Council had intended to review parking charges at its car parks across the county after hiking them at the beginning of the financial year in April.

But the council’s deputy leader, Paul Griffiths, has now said the council doesn’t have the staff to carry out the work and cannot afford to pay for it to be done on its behalf. 

He was asked to provide an update on the proposed county-wide review of car parking to the authority’s September meeting by Usk Conservative councillor Tony Kear. 

But Cllr Griffiths said he could only tell him the review, that it had been agreed during budget discussions should follow the increased charges, couldn’t go ahead. 

He said: “It’s with a lot of frustration I tell the council staff resources have not been found and in year budget pressures prevent a commissioned review.” 

The Chepstow Labour councillor said he thinks a review is necessary as he believes the charging framework, introduced by the previous Conservative administration, is “inconsistent and lacks clarity”. 

Cllr Kear asked if a timetable could be provided and Cllr Griffiths replied: “I wish I could. I suspect it will have to wait for a specific provision in next year’s budget to initiative a commissioned review.”