Parking charges in Battle, Bexhill and Rye could be set to rise

On Monday (October 14), Cllr Claire Dowling, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for transport and environment, is set to decide whether the authority should go out to consultation on plans to increase on-street parking charges in Rother.

A report to Cllr Dowling sets out how the potential changes — which include a major overhaul of permit parking prices — are intended to incentivise “sustainable forms of transport.”

In the report, a council spokesman said: “The consultation will seek to understand people’s views on the council’s proposed approach to the management of parking demand in Rother through the increase in on-street pay and display parking tariffs and parking permit charges.

“The consultation will also look to better understand whether these proposed changes will encourage drivers to use sustainable forms of transport and/or to use vehicles that emit lower levels of pollutants.

“The consultation will be available on the council’s consultation hub website, which will be promoted to stakeholders, residents and traders. The feedback received through the consultation process will be presented alongside an Equalities Impact Assessment, to inform the lead member’s final decisions about the proposals.”

The proposals include major changes to the costs associated with residents’ parking permits, which allow for day time parking (mostly between 8am and 6pm) in the seven permit zones in Rother. Four of these zones are in Bexhill, two in Rye and one in Battle.

Currently, the council charges a flat rate for parking permits in Rother. It costs £10 for a three-month permit, £17 for a six-month permit and £27 for a 12-month permit.

The council is proposing to introduce a new scheme, which takes into account the C02 emissions of the vehicles tied to the permit. This new scheme could significantly increase costs for many permit holders.

Only those with very low emissions (emitting 100g/km or less of CO2) would pay less than a current permit holder, with a 12-month permit costing just £17 for such vehicles. Vehicles with emissions above this would pay at least £60 for a 12-month permit.

The top end costs of a 12-month permit would rise to £103, although this would only apply to vehicles which emit more than 185g/km of C02.

Costs for business permits, visitor permits and second vehicles would also increase under the proposed scheme.

Emissions-based costs would not apply to disabled parking permits, however, which would be set at a flat rate of £7 for 12-months.

The proposals also include increases in pay and display parking tariffs. The increases vary from area to area, although some price jumps are significant.

For example, the cost of a two hour ticket at Bexhill Marina would increase from £2.95 to £4.30, while an all-day ticket for the Seafront and Bexhill North parking areas would increase from £2.30 to £3.30.

Pay and display parking near Bexhill Station would also be set to increase. Currently, an all-day ticket (10 hours) costs £4.35, but would be set to rise to £6.35 under the proposed scheme.

In Battle, the cost of one-hour of on-street parking would increase from 40p to 70p. In Rye, the cost of a two-hour ticket would increase from 90p to £1.35.