Your views: Would citywide parking controls be a help or a hindrance to Chichester?

Controlled parking zones across all of Chichester has proven a controversial suggestion but not everyone is against the idea.
Proposed Chichester Parking Management Plan. WSCC consultation 01-03-19. Zone B exerpt. Hashed green areas restricted Monday-Friday only: 9-10am and 1-2pm. Red outlined areas to be restricted with double yellow lines. Blue: Single yellow lines.Proposed Chichester Parking Management Plan. WSCC consultation 01-03-19. Zone B exerpt. Hashed green areas restricted Monday-Friday only: 9-10am and 1-2pm. Red outlined areas to be restricted with double yellow lines. Blue: Single yellow lines.
Proposed Chichester Parking Management Plan. WSCC consultation 01-03-19. Zone B exerpt. Hashed green areas restricted Monday-Friday only: 9-10am and 1-2pm. Red outlined areas to be restricted with double yellow lines. Blue: Single yellow lines.

West Sussex County Council is proposing a citywide parking management scheme to manage demand as Chichester’s population grows.

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Controlled parking zones across all of Chichester proposed by county council

To prevent displacement parking, the scheme would reach into all residential areas within the blue highlighted zone – in effect nearly the entirety of the city’s built-up area.

Proposed Chichester Parking Management Plan. WSCC consultation 01-03-19. Blue areas mark new controlled parking zones. Orange areas are existing CPZs.Proposed Chichester Parking Management Plan. WSCC consultation 01-03-19. Blue areas mark new controlled parking zones. Orange areas are existing CPZs.
Proposed Chichester Parking Management Plan. WSCC consultation 01-03-19. Blue areas mark new controlled parking zones. Orange areas are existing CPZs.
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Readers have voiced concerns about the impact on visitors trying to access the city centre, who may be put off by extra charges, while others raised issues with insufficient parking for those working in the city, or existing issues parking outside their homes.

Commenting on Facebook, Donna Bicknell said: “Ridiculous idea, this will attract even less visitors to the city centre. Who exactly is making these decisions? There will be no city centre soon.”

Holly Watts agreed that the retail centre needed support.

She wrote: “A better option would be to address the Orange areas, and encouraging people to use the town, if people don’t have incentives to visit the city centre then we will lose more of our shops!”

Others said existing parking issues should be remedied by thinking about those working in the city.

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Alan Hogben said: “Most of the issues of parking in surrounding streets are caused by those working in the town and nearby offices, forced out by sky high town centre parking fees.

“No one parks that far out just to pop into town for a couple of hours.

“Give those staff reduced season tickets for car parks on the outskirts and free up the streets for people to park outside their homes.”

Charlotte Dawson said she agreed. “I work in the high street and my wages don’t keep up with inflation, especially CDC extortionate parking permits so I started parking outside of town and walking in.

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“Now I live in the centre. No one who works in the shops earns much money.”

Park and Ride was another idea that was put forward, although the Road Space Audit the parking plan is based on had said such a scheme could be a part of a contingency.

Katie Payne commented: “Why can’t our city do what other places like Portsmouth and Winchester have done and bring in a park and ride all year round, not just at Christmas!

“Would keep our businesses staffed as the staff wouldn’t be paying out half their hourly wage on ridiculous parking rates and would bring some shoppers back to our city that currently go elsewhere rather than pay the parking costs!

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“If you spread parking charges out as far as shown you may as well just disregard Chichester as a city for shopping entirely!”

Melinda Gregory said park and ride should be available for commuters as well as shoppers.

She added: “Horsham Council run this type of scheme and it is a huge success, there are season tickets for commuters the shoppers pay £2.00 return after 9am for a maximum of 5 people.

The land for the park and ride could be near the Barnfield Drive area.”

Residents however, have given support to the proposals.

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Gareth Wood said he wouldn’t mind paying for parking as he had difficulty parking outside his own house.

Maria Chenier said she had the same problem. “I’d be happy to pay for a permit if it meant I’d be able to park near my house.”

Ruth Stewart commented: “I think it’s a great idea... but I’m more of a fan of the 2 hr max zones or restricted 10-11 and 2-3 unless you have a permit. It makes it easier for you to have guests visit you, and stops the people who park all day.”

Ewan Haig is also hopeful the plans will be moved forward.

He said: “There are no parking restrictions up here but we are on the doorstep of the hospital and Uni.

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“Residents struggle to park given the competition for space with hospital workers.

“I don’t know what the solution is re where they park given (so I’m told) there’s insufficient parking in St Richards for staff, but our situation will be greatly helped by these plans. They have been a long time coming. Fingers crossed they get the go ahead.”

What do you think? Email [email protected].