PEOPLE who seek more car parking in Penarth should react to the real prospect that threatens us, from the 500 place park and ride at Cosmeston. Labour’s LDP requires ‘bus priority measures’ along the route from Lavernock Road to the Barrage.

Their route goes up Westbourne Road, then Stanwell Road to the roundabout, through the town centre down to High Street, then up to Paget Road over to the barrage.

Bus priority means deleting car parking from the library up to the clock and in Windsor Road shopping centre, so that buses are no longer subject to the delays from parking manoeuvres and the congestion there.

Why not route the new buses instead via Hickman Road and Arcot Street? That would affect more residential car parking, so they have chosen to inflict it on the town centre.

These park and ride buses won’t serve Penarth but pass straight through, as the P&R is a regional facility aimed to get people speedily to Cardiff via the barrage, by-passing the Penarth Road congestion.

The 500 places will be quickly taken up by new people in the dormitory suburbs of upper Cosmeston (576 dwellings) and Sully (600 houses).

Not really regional, though they might argue existing residents in lower Penarth, Sully and east Barry would use it.

It’s supposed to significantly reduce congestion at the Merrie Harrier and Barons Court, so 500 places will be too few.

Let’s anticipate further plans to double the size to 1,000 spaces and a decision to allow it to stop and pick up in Windsor Road shops.

Or will they see the nonsense and start the buses from the new Sully/Cosmeston estates, labelling them as superior rapid transit ‘metro’ buses?

Why have Councillors Lis Burnett and Peter King not informed us about it in Penarth, and won people to the proposal, being previous and present cabinet members responsible for transport and the LDP and both representing Penarth wards?

Why the reticence to tell us of this exciting new future?

Anne Greagsby

Penarth Head Lane

Penarth