Call to extend free parking for shoppers in Bognor

FREE car parking must be extended in Bognor Regis, it has been urged.

The success of the two-hour stays in two town centre car parks meant more spaces had to be provided, according to the president and chairman of the town’s chamber of commerce.

Nick Stuart-Nicolson, told its annual general meeting on Monday: “The chamber was rather ruthlessly denied its traditional four Saturdays before Christmas parking concession.

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“But we welcomed the free parking for two hours scheme which brought us a little closer to similar schemes in other towns.

“It is now clear this has become somewhat flawed in that there are not enough available spaces in the two initial car parks in the scheme – Fitzleet multi-storey and Lyon Street.

“Further, instead of a one-year scheme, it should be extended to two or three years.

“The popularity of the scheme is clear – with almost 9,000 £1 parking discs already sold.

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“In view of this, the continuing success of the scheme depends entirely on more parking spaces and a determination to continue.”

The free parking was launched on December 1 jointly by Bognor and Arun councils for an initial year.

Both paid towards the loss of parking income caused by scrapping short stay tickets to get the long-sought initiative started to boost the town centre.

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