LETTER: Car parking spaces galore

Over half the car parking spaces in the centre of our town are now available to residents and in particular those in the two-hour limited spaces outside the main shops and in Black Path.

Normally these are blocked by free-loading commuters from about 7am onwards who completely ignore the restrictions.

What is the point of them if these people, who do not live in our town, can ignore them with impunity and cause parking chaos.

The railway car park is rarely 50 per cent full as they are loathe to pay the parking charge.

While the police do nothing to enforce the legal restrictions, this situation will continue. The new council has stored up loads of money in its coffers with their ludicrous hike of over 7 per cent in our precept. How about using some of this to pay for a traffic warden.

They have not yet come up with any other ideas.

I have spoken to some High Street traders and they report an upturn in business when the parking spaces are not clogged up by commuters. One trader mentioned that some cars have been left in the two-hour zone for over two weeks, presumably gone to Gatwick for holidays. Interestingly, these people can read the notice at the railway car park stating £5 per day but do not understand what a two-hour parking restriction means.

Michael Clewett

Old Drive

Polegate