A CONTROVERSIAL car parking strategy for Pontypool has been approved by councillors.

The strategy seeks to address the car parking shortage in the town while the Top Car Park and Crane Street rege-neration projects go ahead.

Earlier this week, the Argus reported that 100 car parking spaces will be lost in Pontypool when the development is completed.

This has caused concern among traders who have been campaigning for more spaces in the town. They fear their livelihoods will be threatened if there are inadequate spaces for shoppers.

However, at a special meeting of Torfaen council's cabinet on Wednesday, the plan was passed without changes.

Councillor John Marshall said: "There is going to be absolute mayhem in this town with parking, it's going to cause a tremendous problem. We need to work with the market traders and other businesses to make sure they are still in business after the 44 week development."

Councillor Lewis Jones admitted: "We are left with an acute shortage of car parking spaces."

During the construction of the Tesco store on the top car park and the four retail units on Crane Street the number of spaces in Pontypool will fall to 897.

The plan the cabinet opted for means that the civic centre car park will be open for use by the public, but on a first come first serve basis, meaning users will have to compete for spaces.

Ceri Mason, a former Pontypool Indoor Market Trader's Association secretary, said the decision would be the "death-blow" for traders in the town.

She said: "We are absolutely devastated. We asked that the two levels of the civic centre be open on a two hour basis specifically for shoppers, but if it's first come first serve it could be taken up by workers and then where would shoppers park?"