Pay to park at work?

A study into reducing traffic problems along the south coast is suggesting a tax on company car parks and out of town retail parks.

It could mean having to pay up to 3 per day.

But the people who carried out the study admit the plans could only become a reality once better public transport was in place.

The suggested scheme is part of the South Coast Multi Modal Study (SoCoMMs) being undertaken by Halcrow Group Ltd, on behalf of the Department for Trade and Industry.

Charges would be graduated, the highest in urban areas like Portsmouth and Brighton through Eastbourne and Chichester and down to Hastings and Bexhill.

David Turner, project manager for the SoCoMMs study, said: "We want to reduce the amount of cars on the roads primarily in urban areas and town centres and one way to do that is to improve public transport and provide alternatives means of getting into town centres, like walkways and cycle routes.

"Once we have decent public transport we would be looking to put a levy on car parks to discourage motorists from driving to work. It is a strategy in principle."

Local chambers of commerce have been invited to discuss the proposals with Halcrow on June 19 at the Beauport Park Hotel in Hastings.

Malcolm Mitcheson, president of the Bexhill Chamber of Commerce, expressed his concern. "The multi modal study is supposed to come up with a solution to our traffic problems, not add to them. Businesses will be affected, prices will go up and we will become less competitive. We will be opposing the idea."

Hastings Direct is Bexhill's largest employer. The Collington Avenue business employs 750 staff, 28 per cent of whom live more than three miles away.

Claire Day, from Hastings Direct, said: "We feel putting a levy on private workplace parking would shift rather than solve the problem as people would choose to park on the nearest street without yellow lines rather than in the car park provided.

"We always encourage local staff to walk or cycle to work for health as well as environmental reasons. Due to poor public transport in the area many of these staff have little alternative but to drive to work."

Rother Council chief executive Derek Stevens said this was one of the many options SoCoMMs had come up with and something the Government had already mooted. "Halcrow is just trailing this idea. I suspect this would apply to businesses and car parks above a certain size or employee number."

Halcrow's public consultation ends on June 21. A report will then go to the steering committee in July before being adopted by the South East Regional Authority for a decision in principle from the Government.

Ken Venables, Land Securities portfolio manager, said the company was working with ESCC to improve bus links into Ravenside Retail Park. But it would be apprehensive about any levy that might unfairly penalise traders in that location.