RESIDENTS believe “common sense has prevailed” after the Welsh Government dropped plans to stop people parking outside of their homes.

The government have announced they will no longer proceed with proposed traffic waiting restrictions along the A483 which would have affected residents in Ffairfach, Llandeilo and Llandybie.

County councillors in the area, including Edward Thomas, Dai Nicholas and Anthony Davies, opposed the plans along with Assembly Member Adam Price, and Johnathan Edwards MP.

Mr Price told the Cabinet Secretary for Transport to stop wasting time on the waiting restrictions, saying the government “seemed intent on wasting money”, and to focus on repairing pot holes in the road.

Following the announcement that the plans would not be followed up, Mr Price added: “We were all united in our view that far from making the road safer, removing the ability to park cars in these areas, as the Welsh Government had proposed, was likely to have the opposite effect.

“The parked cars act as de facto traffic calming measures as vehicles have to slow down through the villages.

“Opening up these roads would not only make it impossible for residents to park outside their homes but will mean traffic having no obstructions and will undoubtedly increase speeding and reduce safety.

“I am pleased that common sense has eventually prevailed.”

Jonathan Edwards MP expressed his relief at the decision and said the focus should now be on repairing the road surface.

He said: “The priority for this trunk road, and indeed all trunk roads across our constituency has to be the resurfacing of a road that is in many parts unsightly and unsafe.

“As well as being key local routes, the trunk roads are major commercial highways on which the Carmarthenshire and Welsh economy depend.”