The visitor attraction, which is owned and managed by NRW, has been closed since 2015 to allow for the felling of about 150,000 trees affected by the disease Phytophthora Amorum. But NRW is looking to re-open the Forest Drive this spring, following investments to enhance facilities and for resurfacing work. Admission prices of £8 per car, £11 for minibuses and £25 for coaches – which includes parking fees on council operated car parks at Cwmcarn – are being proposed as part of the plans. The prices were questioned by Cllr Etheridge who called for the cabinet to reconsider the charges. Cllr Etheridge asked whether concessions for vulnerable people and education parties would be offered, as well as for local residents who may visit the attraction regularly.
Meanwhile changes to the process of determining planning applications will also be made. Any applications which are considered to be a “major development” will be determined by the planning committee, rather than under delegated powers which they can be at present. But decisions on more minor and householder applications should not be made by the planning committee under the revised scheme. At a meeting on Tuesday, Independent group leader Cllr Kevin Etheridge raised concern that more decisions would be made under delegated powers under the changes. Cllr Etheridge called for a decision on the changes to be deferred, and asked for a working group of cross-party councillors to be set up to further assess the issue.
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Cllr Marsden said: “We have waived charges in our car parks over recent months to help support residents and the local business community throughout the covid pandemic. “The current arrangements are due to come to an end later this month, so I have requested a report to be prepared which will allow us to consider extending free parking for a further six months.” Cllr Colin Mann, leader of the council’s Plaid Cymru group, said it may be necessary to keep free parking until the end of the year. “There is clearly the need now to review the free parking period given that shops are still closed and it will take many, many months for high streets to return to anything like it was before the pandemic,” he said.