CEREDIGION County Council chiefs have dismissed claims that temporary traffic orders are driving shoppers out of Cardigan.

The fear was expressed by Cilgerran pensioner Janet Garner who, in a strongly-worded email to County Hall, maintained that ‘a loss of town centre parking places has forced elderly shoppers to buy their goods at supermarkets or online’.

She also described the setting up of the temporary traffic regulations in Cardigan as ‘a gross violation of the principles of local democracy’.

The 82-year-old additionally claimed that permanent pavement extensions would give highways bosses ‘a reason to again divert traffic along narrow streets’.

“The political instincts of the small group in power at Ceredigion County Council appear to be profoundly anti-democratic,” added Mrs Garner.

However, in a robust response this morning, the local authority insisted that the introduction of the Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders followed the ‘appropriate’ legal processes – and had actually increased parking in the town centre for older shoppers and those with limited mobility.

“The public (also) have a six-month period from the date of their introduction to submit any feedback, following which the Local Authority may decide to revoke, amend, or make the ETROs permanent,” added a spokesperson.

“The ETRO proposals have not only removed the traffic diversions to which Ms Garner refers, but they have also introduced a greater number of disabled on-street parking bays than were present in Cardigan town centre before the TTRO’s were introduced in July 2020.”