Funds must only be used for parking

The Bognor Regis Traders’ Association is collecting the £7,000 town-centre retailers have committed to raise for the parking scheme in the coming year.

But its latest meeting saw members state they only wanted the money to be spent on free parking.

Chairman Chris Heaps said: “There was concern among traders that funds raised for free parking might be re-allocated to anything other than improvements to the scheme itself, particularly capital projects.

“It was felt a traffic management system was out of proportion to the needs of a seaside town like Bognor.”

The £150,000-plus system, as reported, is an electronic message system to direct drivers to available spaces.

“The meeting agreed the association’s committee would continue to discuss and negotiate the development of the free parking scheme with partner organisations and the town and district councils.”

The traders are raising the £7,000 through advertising in a new shoppers’ guide to be published next month.

Shoppers are supporting the scheme with £1 yellow sticker for their disc, also £1, which entitles them to stay for two hours in two sites.