Pay-and-display parking is about to complete its takeover of Colwyn Bay's promenade.

Parking ticket machines have now been installed between the former pier site and The Toad pub, just in time for the busy summer season.

Millions have been spent on the beachfront in order to attract tourists, but now the town’s mayor is concerned that parking charges might now drive them away.

Cllr Stephen Williams said: “I understand why the county council are doing this but I’m not sure the Colwyn Bay beach is the right place to put them.

“Tourism is our main source of revenue in the area, so I don’t think this is the right place because it might put people off from coming.”

While the pay-and-display machines are currently only installed between Rotary Way and Marine Road, by The Toad, an extension to Rhos-on-Sea and Old Colwyn is in the pipelines.

A Conwy County Borough Council (CCBC) spokesman said: “Extending parking charges to the Rhos on Sea side of the Cayley Promenade is proposed, subject to further consultation as part of the traffic regulation order process.”

Glyn/Colwyn Bay ward county councillor Abdul Khan campaigned unsuccessfully against the installation of the first lot of pay-and-display machines on the stretch between the pier and Rotary Way in the spring.

He said that had been “frustrating” and he was worried public consultation and opinion on these issues were falling on deaf ears and the council were becoming dictators.

Cllr Khan said: “The council might as well be dictators. If they are saying we are having consultation then we should listen to the public. We need to hear their voice.

“At the moment it is just a paper exercise and they are simply going with their pre-determined ideas. It is very frustrating.”

Charging between the pier site and the Toad is expected to start in the next few weeks, just as the summer gets into full swing.

A county council spokesman said the decision had been made following consideration by council’s democratic scrutiny process and cabinet.

Charges will apply between 10am and 4pm and will cost 50p for one hour, £1 for two, £2.50 for four and £3.50 for over four hours.

The county council says parking receipts will be used to keep Conwy’s roads safe, clean and attractive and the maintenance of the promenade and beach.

The authority said the first lot of pay-and-display machines had little impact on the numbers of visitors and people using the spaces.

The spokesman added: “The introduction of charges between Rotary Way and the pier has had no significant impact on parking habits – figures for the period February 12 to June 3 showed 7,231 people paid to park in this area.”

Cllr Khan said if it was revenue CCBC was after and there were no other options, pay-and-display should be rolled out at all beaches and not just at Colwyn Bay.