Council Objects to Parking Plans for the Town

30 May 2008

Cabinet endorsed a letter which has been sent on behalf of Eastbourne Borough Council to the County Council further to the consultation on parking in Eastbourne maintaining that enforcement can be achieved without "pay to park".

Further to Cabinet on the 28 May Cllr David Tutt, Leader of the Council will write to the County Council advising on their response to ESCC’s latest consultation on on-street ‘pay parking’.

In his letter Cllr Tutt says “Cabinet is clear that it is opposed to the County Council's "Pay to Park" proposals and would wish me to register with you the following concerns and objections:

From the balance of e-mails, letters, phone calls and personal representation from members of the public and local businesses received by Cabinet members it is believed that on a balance of 4:1 local opinion opposes, not just the plans, but the entire concept of introducing "pay to park" to the town.” 

The reasons for this are as follows:

Businesses

• Both The Chamber of Commerce and The Federation of Small Businesses alongside many individual businesses who have taken the trouble to contact me, oppose the plans as they believe that many businesses will have to close if they are introduced.  They say this is not only because they fear losing trade to areas which do not have charges but also because they fear losing staff.  Eastbourne is a high cost, low wage economy.  Many businesses can only continue by paying at, or close to the minimum wage.  Many also rely on part-time staff to operate, but if such staff, travelling in from out-of-town estates have to pay the proposed charges it will become uneconomical for them to continue to work.  This will impact on both their own finances and also have repercussions for the economy of the town.

• The hoteliers are opposed to the charges as the current character of the town, which includes the ability to park on the seafront for free and attracts many visitors, will be lost.

Local Residents

• Many local residents are concerned that these charges will make their already difficult struggle to keep up with rising inflation, impossible.  Many have complained to me that the County has failed repeatedly to consult with them by limiting the consultation to those within the proposed charging area.

• Some residents within the proposed charging zone have told me that they have previously supported the scheme as they were under the belief that their resident permit would guarantee them a parking space, this is clearly not the case.

• People see the proposed charges not as something which will benefit the town, but simply as a new "stealth tax" to be imposed by a County Council who are out of touch with local views and who refuse to listen to feedback form local residents.

My Council is also opposed to the implementation of civil parking funded from on street pay parking and is not prepared to be a party to the County Council’s application to the Secretary of State for the devolvement of civil parking enforcement no more than it is prepared to include any of its off-street car parks within such a scheme.

Cabinet would also wish you to be aware that it is not in favour of illegal parking but believes that enforcement can be achieved without "pay to park" and my Council remains committed to working to achieve this.

Councillor Tutt commented, “The people of Eastbourne are telling me that they don’t want to pay to park on street as they don’t believe it to be value for money.  I strongly believe that enforcement can and should be achieved without pay to park.”