Have your say on planned Chichester district car park charges rise and extended hours

During a meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday (November 7), members supported a 6.7 per cent increase on Pay & Display tariffs and a 6.5 per cent increase on the price of season tickets.

If approved, the rise would come into effect on April 1 2024.

It would see the cost of parking for up to three hours in central Chichester, at Little London or Baffins Lane, rise from £6.60 to £7.

In short-stay car parks such as Orchard Street and St Cyriacs the cost would rise from £5.20 to £5.50.

Parking for up to 10 hours at long-stay car parks such as Cattle Market and Northgate, would rise from £7.90 to £8.40.

Leader Adrian Moss said: “Car parking charges are always a challenge and we will always hear from various individuals and groups that they have an effect on the economy.

“However, with the challenging times we’re approaching, we’ve got to find ways to ensure that we do balance our budgets in the future and we do need to look at ways of introducing new opportunities into the economy.

“What we’re doing here is being fair and reasonable.”

Other proposed changes would see charges introduced in rural car parks on Sundays, and Sunday tariffs in city centre long-stay car parks charged at the Monday to Saturday rate.

Drivers would also be charged for parking in short-stay car parks up to 8pm rather than 6pm – though there will be no change at Cattle Market, Basin Road and the Avenue de Chartres car parks.

Harsha Desai, cabinet member for growth & place, said the proposed changes were ‘modest and competitive’ when compared with other neighbouring authorities.

Average parking charges for three hours in Horsham town centre car parks costs between £4.10 and £5.30. In Crawley it’s between £2.70 and £3.20, and in Worthing between £3.50 and £4.20.

Ms Desai added: “The income from parking charges helps to assist with covering the cost of car parks and allowing for future investment and supporting other service areas.

“There are some car parks in the district which are currently not covering their costs and being subsidised by other car parks in the district.”

A consultation into the proposed changes will start shortly and a further report based on the responses will be presented to the cabinet and full council for approval.