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Frustrations over proposed parking charge changes

George Carden/BBC Man looking directly at the camera with a plain expression. He is wearing a blue and white gingham shirts. The background is blurred but he is stood in front of a blue car in a car park George Carden/BBC
Burgess Hill resident John Buck said more parking charges could deter people from going to local shops

People in an area of West Sussex have spoken about their concerns over proposed new parking charges.

A public consultation by Mid Sussex District Council into extending chargeable hours in car parks, and introducing flat-rates on Sundays and Bank Holidays, ended on Wednesday.

The council is proposing that parking charges are extended from 16:00 to 20:00 BST on weekdays and Saturdays, and the daily tariff introduced for Sundays and Bank Holidays would be £1.50 in East Grinstead and Haywards Heath, and £1.00 in Burgess Hill.

John Buck, 91, said: "We're trying to encourage people to come into Burgess Hill and it's getting more dead all the time. We just need to encourage people to come [with] less charges."

He said he would be tempted to park "down the road" and walk in if the changes are implemented.

George Carden/BBC A woman looking at the camera. She has curly red hair and is wearing glasses with black frame. She is wearing a white top with blue flowers on it, with a green and blue scarf around her neck. The background is blurry but she is standing in a car parkGeorge Carden/BBC
Cheri Winchester says parking charges should be left as they are

Cheri Winchester, who was in Burgess Hill with friends, said: “Every little counts, especially if you’ve only got a certain amount of money."

Also in Burgess Hill, Neal Cheetham said the proposed changes were "out of order".

He said he would "certainly" use his car less if the changes were brought in, or would park further away from the town centre and walk in.

Mims Davies, the Conservative MP for East Grinstead and Uckfield, said: "Those without the luxury of off-street parking will be affected.

“It is crystal clear our local government economy will be in jeopardy due to this unwarranted potential action.”

The council said the proposed tariffs would generate money to help tackle inconsiderate and illegal parking and to further secure reinvestment to improve its parking infrastructure.

Mid Sussex District Council has been contacted for comment.

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