In the past month Prestatyn has lost several hundred spaces with the closure of Somerfield on Nant Hall Road, and work finally getting underway on the Tesco development at the bottom of High Street.

Cllr Gerry Frobisher said: “Parking is a premium in Prestatyn. The town council are aware of the problem and are working hard to sort the situation out.”

Prestatyn’s car parks include Lower High Street, Prestatyn, By Offa's tavern with 88 spaces, Central Car Park, by Ty nant Council offices with 123 spaces, Fern Avenue Car Park (top of High Street) 65 spaces and Kings Avenue car park, with 37 spaces.

Cllr Frobisher said: “Prestatyn Town Council provides two free car parks, one close to Prestatyn Train Station (33 spaces) and Upper Central Car Park behind the Prestatyn Parish Church (81 spaces). Theses two free car parks are already heavily used and the issue is that shoppers like to park close to where they are shopping.”

Cllr Frobisher said that Prestatyn Town Council was approaching the owners of the resort’s privately-owned market site, Northern Markets, in the hope of reaching a deal over providing free car parking on the site on non-market days.

While this effort goes on Prestatyn Town Council also revealed they would shortly be making an appeal to Denbighshire County Council to look into the prospect of reducing the cost of its pay and display car park charges as a way of appeasing visitors and consumers.

While plans for the town’s retail rejuvenation and the arrival are not expected to reach fruition until next summer, there are fearsthe opening of the new-look Scala Cinema and Arts Centre this October could be overshadowed by the crisis.

Cllr James Davies said: “There are still spaces available in the town’s pay and display car parks but the people of the town have become used not to paying.

“People have been saying to me generally that everywhere in the town is very busy Peopel are parking in silly places and the worry is that our shops may lose out the longer this goes on.If peopel are having problems accessing free car parking they may not come to the town.

“I think it's important to note that once the new retail park and adjoining Tesco store have been completed in 2009 there will be ample free parking in the town.”