Parking '“ motorists fail to benefit from VAT cut

The Observer can reveal that Arun District Council has ruled out changing the pay and display parking charges at sites such as Hothamton, the Regis Centre and Lyon Street.

This means that drivers will not gain from the 2.5 per cent temporary reduction in the tax from 17.5 per cent to 15 per cent brought in by the chancellor Alistair Darling last month. The lower rate will continue until next January 1.

A council spokeswoman said: "Arun's annual car parks income is around 1.4 million, most of which comes from the pay and display car parks.

"The overall reduction in charges is estimated to be around 5,000 a year, but the cost of making the necessary changes to the machines and accompanying signage is out of proportion to this saving.

"Also, in many cases the machines would be unable to reflect the new lower tariff as it would mean accepting copper coinage, which the machines are not able to do.

"This 'extra' income has not been earmarked for any particular purpose."

Current fees for parking at short stay sites like the Regis Centre include 65p for an hour and 6 for more than four hours.

Long-stay locations include Lyon Street where the charges range from 1.05 for an hour up to 3.20 for more than two hours.

Summer fees at seasonal sites such as Gloucester Road include 1.05 for up to two hours and 6.30 for more than four hours.

However, the council spokeswoman explained that charges for season tickets had been amended to reflect the lower VAT rate.

Bognor Regis Civic Society vice chairman Hugh Coster called on the district council to use its VAT windfall for the benefit of the town.

"Most of that extra pay and display money will be coming from Bognor's motorists," he stated. "Because both Littlehampton and Rustington have free parking in their town centre car parks and we don't. For that reason, it would be a good idea if Arun made a decision to spend the money in a beneficial way to help Bognor.

"It should be something to encourage people to come to Bognor to come into the town centre to help to make up for the fact that we have never really had free parking here.

"I would hope the council would consult with groups such as the civic society and the chamber of commerce to find out what people want from the extra cash before councillors make any decision."

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