Resort's multi-storey car park earns Pembrokeshire County Council around £90,000 (From Western Telegraph)

Resort's multi-storey car park earns Pembrokeshire County Council around £90,000

1:20pm Tuesday 19th May 2009 in

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Tenby’s 'filthy' multi-storey car park earns Pembrokeshire County Council around £90,000 a year, it has been revealed this week.

Calls are now being made for the structure to be spruced up as well as having a lift installed.

Assembly Member Angela Burns is lobbying the authority after Conservative parliamentary candidate Simon Hart  found out under Freedom of Information rules that the car park made a profit of around £90,000 last year.

At a recent meeting of Tenby businesses the poor state of the multi-storey was one of the main causes of complaint, said Mrs Burns.

"The filthy state of the multi-storey and its lack of a lift is a major problem for Tenby traders, as it puts people off shopping in the town,” she added.

“Certainly as someone who has tried to use the car park's upper floors while I had a toddler and a baby in a pushchair, I can vouch that it’s almost impossible to do so safely.

“I have now asked Pembrokeshire County Council to address the issues and look into the cost of carrying out improvements.”

The figures reveal that the gross income from the car park between 2007 and 2008 was £138,810.

The council says it spent £40,000 on electricity and rates for the multi storey and that a further £400,000 went on managing and maintaining all of the council's 80 car parks in the same period.

“If you calculate that the council spent one eightieth of the £400,000 on the multi-storey then it means a profit of £93,000 last year,” said Mr Hart.

“It may cost them more to manage a multi-storey than a normal car park but either way, it is earning them a lot of money and is not having much spent on it. It is often people’s first close encounter with Tenby and it can be thoroughly unpleasant and smelly. I would urge the council to spend some of the revenue on sprucing it up and installing a lift.”

Pembrokeshire County Council spokeswoman Ceri Jones told the Western Telegraph this week: "The county council is aware of this issue and we are taking steps to address some of the matters raised."