VOTE: Car park charges are to rise by almost one-third

The huge leap in fees for on-street spaces and residents' permits will take effect from July as a new enforcement regime starts in the town, with council parking officers replacing traffic wardens.

The inflation-busting hike by West Sussex County Council will mean a two-car household in the controlled parking zone having to pay 120 a year for the right to leave their cars at the kerbside, instead of the current 90.

Visitors and shoppers parking in roads such as Station Road and Lyon Street face an 80p an hour charge compared to the present 60p.

Lyon Street resident Laurie Barnes said: "I am surprised, shocked and disappointed by this as I am sure all affected residents will be.

"It looks like a case of milking us for as much as the council thinks it can get away with because it knows we have no option but to pay this. It's all about making easy money.

"But this is going to harm the town centre. Visitors are going to be similarly exposed to this hike in charges. That is not what we need as we enter the summer."

He claimed the charges were substantially increased a couple of years ago. The county council maintains they have been frozen since 2004.

It says the increases are in line with inflation and rising running costs since then. They will also ensure on-street parking fees match those for stays in car parks.

The decision to increase the charges was made last November but the council deferred them until July.

The new charges will come into effect on July 1 for permits and July 5 for on-street pay and display and voucher parking places.

Derek Whittington, the county councillor in charge of strategic planning and transport, defended the charges. He said: "On-street parking is designed for short stays. However, if the cost is cheaper than nearby car parks, motorists will often choose to park

on-street rather than using the car parks. This can lead to congestion and pollution caused by cars circling around looking for on-street spaces, while car parks have spare capacity.

"To make sure there is a sensible balance, the on-street charges need to be the same or more than the cost of nearby car parks.

"This will create more available spaces for short visits by encouraging motorists wanting to park for longer periods to use car parks."

Bognor Regis Chamber of Commerce chairman and president Nick Stuart-Nicolson said: "This is the wrong time to be putting up parking charges.

"We want people to know Bognor is open for business but these higher charges will deter them from coming into the shopping area."

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