Restaurant in hot water over charges (From Penarth Times)

Restaurant in hot water over charges

PENARTH families using the popular Captain's Wife restaurant in Swanbridge could have a "serious accident" because of a new parking system, according to a local councillor.

Brewer's Fayre, which owns the waterside restaurant, recently installed a pay and display system, something Sully councillor Anthony Ernest believes could be a danger.

He said: "Motorists entering the site will once again be charged for parking, and the possibility of a serious accident at the pub's gateway cannot be overlooked.

"The winding approach road would become dangerously congested, as drivers not wishing to pay attempted to avoid parking penalties."

Parking now costs £1 for two hours, £2 for three hours, £3 for four hours and £5 for a full day, something which residents have been quick to criticise - especially as the penalty for not displaying a valid ticket is £50.

One Sully resident who did not want to be named said: "I didn't enjoy my night at all. We paid for two hours parking and spent the whole time watching the clock instead of enjoying our night out. "It feels like customers are getting a pretty raw deal."

But the company says the scheme is totally for the benefit of customers. A spokesman for Brewer's Fayre, said: "This scheme is to ensure there are spaces for our customers. There's no charge to customers. It is £1 for two hours but if you produce the voucher you get £1 off food or drink.

"If they're going to be in the restaurant over two hours, they can go out and get another £1 voucher and then have that taken off their bill again."

Regarding the restaurant, she said: "There's a roundabout at the entrance so people can just go out again."

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