Anger over Sidley car park plans

The 95-place car park could be reduced to 28 spaces.

Shopkeepers and families were out in force this week to express their fears.

The protesters fear that trade will be hit just as it looks like taking an up-turn as a result of the Lidl superstore's opening drawing more shoppers to the area.

They also fear further traffic congestion, especially at school times.

Director of services Tony Leonard will put options before Rother's cabinet at its 2.30pm meeting at the Town Hall on Monday.

One alternative to the plan would be to wait for a year to judge how much income is raised by Rother's equally unpopular proposal to introduce charges.

Fifty cars were in the free park on Tuesday as traders gathered at Sidley Pets to put their concerns to the Observer.

Phil Hall who runs the cleaners said: "Our major concern is that we are all independent traders. We like to think that we give an excellent service to our clients and our major competition happens to be Ravenside.

"How can we as independent traders compete with the likes of Ravenside if the council decide to make it extremely difficult for any of our existing customers and potential new clients to use our services?

"A very large organisation - Lidl - has just invested millions of pounds in Sidley high street which, hopefully, will result in fewer empty shops.

"What benefits will Sidley traders or Sidley's shoppers have by these proposed changes?

"None!"

Sidley sub-postmaster Bob Ffrench argues: "We might as well suggest that Rother tries telling Ravenside to charge people for parking there."

Newsagent Nick Highfield says the free charge park has been the life-blood of Sidley trading, the area's greatest asset. "Roads like Sidley Street and North Road are already hopelessly congested. There's no parking to be had there."

Pat Tidd, who runs Sidley Pets, says: "Sidley shoppers really depend on that car park. I have many older customers who depend on it. I carry stuff round to their cars for them because they can't manage.

"If they couldn't park there they simply wouldn't come to Sidley to shop any more."

Bob Ffrench said: "It's an important point. A lot of the people who come to Sidley to shop are old. They are dependant on the car park."

Phil Hall said: "The car park is not only used by our customers. It is heavily used by parents from the two local schools twice a day.

"They would have to pay a heavy penalty to do that if Rother introduces charging. If it reduces the car parking spaces there will be chaos at school times. It is bad enough as it is."