Chichester car park price rise would be fourth rise in four years

SHOPPERS and commuters reacted with anger to a potential rise in the price of car parking in Chichester city centre for the fourth year running.
Cattle Market car park.


Photo by Louise Adams C121922-2 Chi Cattle Market Car Park ENGSUS00120121229165527Cattle Market car park.


Photo by Louise Adams C121922-2 Chi Cattle Market Car Park ENGSUS00120121229165527
Cattle Market car park. Photo by Louise Adams C121922-2 Chi Cattle Market Car Park ENGSUS00120121229165527

A number of proposals come before Chichester District Council on Tuesday (October 6), including some long-stay car parks seeing a day’s parking going up from £4.90 to £5.40.

“I avoid Chichester already because parking is expensive,” said Lynne Marshall on the Observer’s Facebook page.

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Meanwhile Kate Brooks raised concern the rise could push motorists to park on residential streets.

“Our house is already surrounded by cars of those walking into work and avoiding parking charges,” she said.

April 1, 2012, saw the first rise in parking charges following a four-year freeze.

In 2011, it cost £3.50 to park for a day in Chichester’s Northgate and Cattle Market car parks.

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However, if the changes are approved it will be £5.40 for a day’s parking from April 1, 2016.

Although prices are set to rise in most of the long-stay car parks, the Avenue de Chartres is an exception.

The council is proposing to freeze parking here in a bid to encourage more people to use it, after it was converted to a pay-on-exit system with barriers earlier this year.

“At times, demand is higher in certain city car parks. We believe that these proposals will encourage people to use a number of our sites so that we are able to better balance the use of our car parks,” said Gillian Keegan, cabinet member for commercial services.

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In addition, Sunday charges in long-stay car parks are to be raised for the first time since they were introduced in 2012.

Currently, up to four hours is £1 and over four hours is £2. The council is proposing to introduce a new three-to-four-hour tariff at £2 and the more-than-four-hour tariff will rise to £3. Those staying less than three hours will still only pay £1.

According to a report coming before cabinet, the Sunday changes could net them an extra £15,000 a year.

In addition, cabinet will also look at raising charges in rural car parks, including Selsey, East Wittering and Bosham.

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In Chichester, a price increase for the in-demand Little London and Baffins Lane short-stay car parks could see one hour’s stay go from £1.20 to £1.40.

Additionally the rural season ticket may face an increase from £10 to £12.50 per month, except for Bosham which may rise to £15.

The Chichester District Parking Forum labelled the proposals ‘modest and competitive’ compared to neighbouring authorities.

As well as this, both x roving and specific season tickets may increase their monthly charge with x roving rising from £44 per month to £47, and specific season tickets from £48 to £52. A public consultation is set to follow.

To view the proposals in full click here.

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