Evening parking charges for council-owned car parks in Mid Sussex to be dropped

The decision was made during a Mid Sussex District Council meeting on Wednesday (February 25), where the budget for 2026/27 was being discussed.

An amendment calling for the 6pm to 8pm tariffs for East Grinstead car parks to be removed, was tabled by Gary Marsh (Con, Ardingly, Balcombe & Turners Hill).

Mr Marsh said the estimated £62,000 of lost income could be made up by reducing the amount set to be deposited in the general reserve.

When the charges were first being introduced, concerns were raised about the impact they would have on residents coming into town for the evening and the impact on volunteers at places such as the Chequer Mead theatre.

Seconding the amendment, Jacquie Russell (Con, East Grinstead Town) said the the change would be ‘a minimal loss of income to the authority in return for a very positive outcome for East Grinstead residents and businesses’.

She said: “Two-thirds of the revenue generated in the evenings comes from East Grinstead, the only town with a controlled parking zone.

“The impact of this cannot be understated, where permit-holding residents find themselves unable to park in their vicinity after 5pm when restrictions are lifted, due to the reluctance of other road users to pay the evening parking charges.”

The idea was supported by leader Robert Eggleston, with the proviso that it also covered the car parks in the other two towns. He said: “By doing this, we treat all three towns equally and fairly.”

The change will mean a total loss of income of £97,500, taking the general reserve deposit from £234,000 to £136,500.

It won’t come into effect straight away, as an amendment order will need to be made and scrutinised to the council’s Parking Strategy & Action Plan.