Commuters and shoppers face £4 a day for parking in Chichester
Shoppers, residents and commuters will have to fork out £4 a day after Chichester District Council agreed to increase parking charges.
Under the plans, which CDC wants to introduce in April next year, the cost for staying more than five hours in Basin Road, Northgate, Cattle Market and Avenue de Chartres will rise from £3.50 to £4. An hour’s stay will rise from 60p to 70p.
Councillor Pam Dignum said the rise was not considered excessive and extra money was needed to pay for vital services.
“It compares very favourably with other cities, raising charges from £3.50 a day to £4 is not a worrying concern.”
But shopper Sharon Forbes, from Chichester, said: “Fifty pence might not sound a lot to some people, but if you came to Chichester three times a week, that would be £12 a week, and it soon adds up. I know some increases are needed, but 50p will seem a lot to some people, especially when wages aren’t rising.”
More than 400 people have signed a petition in just a week to fight the decision to introduce car parking charges on Sundays in Chichester.
Resident Andrew Hooper launched the petition after learning Chichester District Council would be hiking up charges at city-centre car parks.
Mr Hooper said: “This is a tremendous response from the people of Chichester, rejecting these unwanted charges which will harm the culture and wellbeing of our city.”
Mr Hooper had initially called for a Parish Poll to be held – a rare law under the Local Government Act 1972 – to halt the charges from being introduced.
During a one-off Parish Meeting however, it was decided holding a Parish Poll would be too costly and the majority of people voted in favour of launching a petition.
There was outrage last week as residents thought it would be unfair to impose the charges on veterans and their families for next year’s Armistice Day – which falls on a Sunday.
CDC said it would cost £1 for four hours and £2 for more than four hours for the vast majority of car parking spaces in Chichester – about 70 per cent of spaces.
West Sussex County Council has previously stated that it would have to investigate installing Controlled Parking Zones if drivers tried to avoid charges by parking on street.
See www.bit.ly/cdcparking or the e-petitions tab on the district council’s home page.
A paper copy is available at the city council’s office in North Street.
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Weather for Chichester
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 19 C
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