A POPULAR wildlife site in Rhyl will have parking charges brought in at the premises later this month, as will the town’s harbour.

Car parks at both Marine Lake and Rhyl Harbour will operate with a pay and display system from Friday, March 22.

Marine Lake is regularly used by joggers and dog walkers, while the exact parking charges have not yet been agreed.

It follows Denbighshire County Council increasing the costs of using its car parks earlier this month by as much as £1.50.

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A council spokesperson said: “Due to budgetary pressures, the decision was made by council officers to introduce parking charges at both Marine Lake and Rhyl Harbour.

“Charges will come into force on Friday, March 22 and will be in line with the new Denbighshire County Council parking charges.”

Gareth Davies, MS for Vale of Clwyd, criticised both the decision itself and a perceived lack of communication from the council on the matter.

He said: “Nobody seemed to know about this via any official council channels. They haven't contacted myself about it, nor seemed to consult local councillors, which is very concerning.

“There will be a lot of opposition to it, as it's generally agreed that we need to be encouraging people to come to Rhyl, not putting them off.”

Marine Lake is also used by Ocean Beach Water Ski Club, Rhyl Miniature Railway, Rhyl Sea Cadets and Rhyl Yacht Club.

Cllr Joan Butterfield, who represents the Rhyl West ward in which Marine Lake is situated, also slammed the move.

She said: “As the ward member, I am in contact with Denbighshire County Council, and hope this car park has been included by  error.

“The officer that seems to have announced this forgot to consult with the voluntary workers that use this small car park.

“The sea cadets should be given all the help they can get; working with young cadets should be encouraged, not restricted by charging the helpers to park their cars.

“Also, the steam train volunteers that use this small car park should not be penalised. Charging is restrictive to the local volunteers.

“I will continue to lobby Denbighshire County Council, and hopefully get some rational explanation as to who decided to included this car park to further disadvantage the area of deprivation.”

James Davies, Vale of Clwyd MP, added: "Marine Lake is a popular attraction which is well used by locals and visitors to the town and I am concerned that parking charges there will have a detrimental impact on visitor numbers.

"I know many people visit the lake to walk their dog or take some exercise and are only there for a short time.

"I fear that these fees will either put people off using the lake altogether, which would be a great shame, or will encourage them to park on residential roads in the area, resulting in a nuisance to residents.

"I am also concerned that there appears to have been no consultation about these charges, which come into effect next week.

"I, like members of the public and local councillors, learnt of the introduction of the fees through social media.

"Marine Lake is a real asset to the town and we should be doing all we can to promote it and boost visitor numbers, not deterring people from visiting.

"I am disappointed by the decision and will be raising my concerns with Denbighshire County Council."

Cllr Alan James, also of the Rhyl West ward, added: "As ward member along with Cllr Butterfield, I will be working with her to see what can be done to change this situation."