The wooden structures, installed during the Covid pandemic to give cafés and restaurants extra, safer seating space, have been dismantled over the past week under Vale of Glamorgan Council plans to “refresh and improve” the town centre.
For traders who invested thousands of pounds in furniture and planting, their removal feels like the loss of a vital part of their business model just as the summer season begins.
Jason Payter, owner of Windsor Tea Rooms, previously told the Penarth Times he had spent around £2,500 on furniture and £500 on plants for his parklet and estimated it generated about £60,000 in turnover between 2023 and 2024.
It became so popular that customers would specifically book tables outside, and he says the council’s decision has already forced him to make at least one member of staff redundant.
Foxy’s Deli and other cafés also argued that the covered spaces gave them crucial extra capacity during tough trading conditions and helped create a more continental, sociable feel on the high street.
Supporters say the parklets changed how people use the town centre, encouraging families, older residents and visitors to linger rather than just pass through.
Some have praised the way the structures brought colour and life to the street and offered a more accessible option for people who feel uncomfortable indoors or who rely on level access seating.
Campaigners from the Save Penarth’s Parklets group point to previous consultation exercises which, they say, showed strong public backing for keeping them and promised “well‑designed permanent pavement build‑outs” that have yet to materialise.
But Facebook comments on the Penarth Times’ coverage reveal how divisive the parklets had become. While many lament their loss, others welcomed the return of parking spaces and clearer sightlines for drivers, describing the structures as “eyesores” with rusting metal and neglected plants.
Some residents argued they clogged pavements, worsened traffic pinch‑points particularly near the library and exposed diners to car fumes and noise. A few said they would rather see limited council funds spent on road repairs and other basics than maintaining or replacing the wooden terraces.
The council has said the parklets were always intended as temporary Covid measures and that they had reached the end of their lifespan, stressing that businesses can still apply for standard outdoor seating licences.
That will not, however, restore the glass screens and raised decking that owners feel helped shield customers from buses and traffic and made the spaces feel special.
With the parklets gone, Penarth is left weighing up whether the extra parking, wider pavements and simpler road layout are worth the loss of a piece of street life that, for many, had come to symbolise the town’s post‑pandemic recovery.
