Hastings retailers need cheap parking to attract shoppers

The Observer campaign and that of enterprising individuals to encourage people to ‘shop local’ is admirable but aspirational only. Until Hastings Borough Council (HBC) makes its town centre parking charges less extortionate, only those living close by will shop there.

Why pay about £1.80 an hour, £3.30 for 2 hours (with draconian penalties for seconds-worth of late return) when there is free parking at every ‘retail park’ and at all the major supermarkets? It is noteworthy that even under lockdown, these supermarkets are still selling all the items that the unfortunately closed small retailers cannot now sell.

HBC needs to put its grandiose posturing about backing local retailers into practice by perhaps making the first hour’s parking free, or lowering the overall charges. Bexhill now has parking charges: 40p for 1, 70p for 2 and £1.40 for 3 hours.

If Bexhill can make money from reasonable charges, why can’t Hastings? Or does being the birthplace of motor racing give Bexhill more intelligence about motoring matters than being the birthplace of television? The latter claim appears to have clouded Hastings’ councillors judgement as to how to make people come to Hastings.