Council apologises after hundreds stuck in Hastings car park during bank holiday weekend

Hastings Borough Council has apologised to motorists who found themselves stuck in the Rock-a-Nore car park, in Hastings, for more than two hours on Saturday (March 31).
Rock-a-Nore car park photographed in August 2017Rock-a-Nore car park photographed in August 2017
Rock-a-Nore car park photographed in August 2017

A spokesman for Hastings Borough Council said: “Whilst we are pleased that we are so popular, we are very sorry that so many people were stuck in the car park for so long over Easter.

“We do put ‘car park full’ signs out, but unfortunately these seem to be ignored.

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“We continue to work with our highways colleagues from East Sussex County Council on long term plans to solve the problem.”

Lucy Taylor, of Coombe Shore, Ninfield, was stuck for two and a half hours with two of her young children.

She said the council needed to do more to control the ‘utter chaos’ caused by hundreds of vehicles entering the car park.

Read our interview with Lucy here.

This is also not the first time motorists have been stuck leaving the car park.

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A year ago – in April 2017 – hundreds of holiday makers were stuck for up to three and a half hours as they tried to leave the Rock-a-Nore Road car park.

At the time, East Sussex County Council said tailbacks were caused because motorists on the A259 were given priority at the traffic lights at the junction with Rock-a-Nore Road.

Were you stuck on Saturday afternoon? Speak to our reporter by emailing [email protected].