Parking spaces that were given over to Welshpool businesses to create 'cafe culture' outdoor dining during the Covid pandemic could be returned to drivers in a blow to high street traders.

Members debated whether spaces occupied by businesses' outdoor seating could be returned to their former use at a meeting of Welshpool Town Council on Wednesday, February 28.

The spaces were first given over to some Welshpool businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. With only outdoor dining permitted under lockdown regulations, some businesses, such as The Pheasant and Coco Coffee House, were given permission installed outdoor seating in parking spaces on the street outside.

Cllr Phil Pritchard said: “I want an investigation into this. As those spaces were only put there to get over the issues of seating outside when Covid started. The arrangement was only supposed to last until Covid was over.

“I would want to inquire to the county council over what’s happening as they’re not supposed to be there anymore.”

Other councillors disagreed, praising the aesthetic of Welshpool’s outdoor seating and questioning whether the council had a right to weigh in on a potentially well used facility.

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Cllr Richard Church said: “In my view, the seating areas add to the atmosphere of the street, and I welcome them. I would not want to take action against a business, and I believe the principle should be to keep them there as long as the areas are well used."

“I welcome them as part of a café culture that the street could see more of,” addedCllr Phil Owen.

“But you have to strike a balance, especially if you want a mix of residential and commercial use of the street. People need to access their buildings and leave their cars somewhere.”

Cllr David France added: “I agree, a balance is required and it’s useful to ask how many people a few extra spaces would bring in.

"I see this extra seating acting as beautifying features and attracting people to the high street, which I think would suffer from being nothing other than rows of cars.”

In an effort to strike a balance between the two positions, Cllr Alison Davies proposed surveying business owners in Welshpool over whether the extra spaces would be helpful compared to the outdoor seating.

The proposal was met with unanimous approval by the council.