The county council is planning to make parking free in Mold and Holywell – the only two towns in Flintshire where motorists currently pay to park.

It is hoped scrapping charges would attract shoppers and help town-centre traders compete with large supermarkets and out-of-town retail parks.

Council chiefs have called the current setup, where parking is free in some towns but not others, 'grossly unfair'.

Colin Everett, chief executive of Flintshire Council, said the current system is being reviewed.

Cllr Tony Sharps, deputy leader of Flintshire Council, told the Leader: "We are looking to abolish car parking charges in Mold and Holywell because of the costs of fuel and the way business has gone down.

"This would demonstrate to the motorist that the council genuinely cares about them, and also that we want to encourage extra expenditure in towns.

"As things stand, it's grossly unfair that people in these two towns are paying while no-one else in Flintshire is paying a penny.

"I don't see why anyone going to Mold or Holywell to do their shopping should have to pay.

"Scrapping charges would help motorists and also local shopkeepers, who are the major players and the wealth creators in our towns."

Currently, shoppers in Mold and Holywell are charged 20p to park for three hours, and 50p for anything longer.

While the charges are relatively small, town leaders say they are still enough to put off shoppers, especially as parking in Flint, Deeside and Buckley is free.

Cllr Sharps says he raised the issue at a recent leader strategy group meeting, and that a decision on scrapping the charges has been deferred while a report on the financial implications is drawn up.

Under the plans, car-park attendants in Mold and Holywell would become town-centre traffic wardens, dishing out on-the-spot fines for offences such as parking on double yellow lines.

Council chief executive Mr Everett said: "Currently the council is in the practice of charging for some car parks in some parts of the county, but not others.

"The council will be reviewing how it manages car parks across the county and charging arrangements as part of providing car park facilities and part of its future budget plans.

"At this stage no decision has been made to adjust current arrangements."

Derek Kirby, Flintshire Council's head of highways strategy, added: "The council has agreed in principle to the introduction of civil parking enforcement within the county, which is the transfer of the enforcement of on-street parking from the police to the local authority.

"The application to Welsh Assembly Government, to enable this, requires the council to prepare an overall parking policy.

"This policy will incorporate how the county council will manage and operate all council owned off-street public car parks, including any charging strategy."

The plan to scrap charges comes days after a report by the Forum of Private Business warned that parking charges are killing high street trade.

A survey revealed that high-street retailers are experiencing the worst slump in sales in quarter of a century.

What do you think? Are you fed up with being charged to use council car parks? Let us know by leaving a comment below.