Parking charges are extortionate

It is no wonder that the retail businesses in Horsham are suffering. Last month a great many residents were appalled at the disproportionate increase (20 per cent) in car parking charges.
By The Newsroom
Published 12th Apr 2013, 16:49 BST

On April 4, when parking at the Denne Road car park in Horsham, the ticket machines were not working.

The only way to pay for a ticket was to use an online facility which is extremely tortuous and involves texting to a number which is not free, receiving a text back with instructions to call or go online to set up a pay by phone account.

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The whole process took ten minutes and apart from the cost of the text and telephone charges, there is an extra cost for the privilege of using this service.

By the time I had finished doing this (thereby making me late for my meeting), there was a crowd of approximately 15 people having to go through the exact same process.

Luckily they were mostly young people who had a mobile phone with them.

Not only are parking charges in Horsham extortionate for a rural town, the facilities are often inoperable, adding insult to injury.

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Perhaps Horsham District Council should consider suspending short term (two hours) parking charges for a period of six months in order to encourage shoppers to come back to the high street, thereby helping to revive this wonderful town centre, its retailers and its community spirit.

SARAH TURNER

Copsale Road, Maplehurst

Related topics:Horsham District Council