No new charges at Worthing’s free car parks

Worthing Borough Council was considering introducing charges at its free car parks in Goring Road, Poulters Lane, Sea Lane, Marine Crescent, Brooklyn Avenue and Elm Grove. The council said this was ‘to help fund the maintenance of the sites and other improvements’.

“Charging will not be introduced at Worthing’s free car parks after councillors consulted with members of the community,” a council spokesperson said.

"Councillors have now opted against pushing ahead with the proposals after they spoke to local residents and businesses about how it would affect them.”

A campaign against these new charges in the Goring area was raised by local, Conservative councillor, Roy Barraclough.

He highlighted how the charges would impact on residents, business and visitors to the area; as well as causing ‘further mayhem’ with parking in the adjoining residential roads.

Mr Barraclough delivered leaflets and spoke to local residents and businesses, encouraging them to undertake an online survey to gather public views.The survey received more than 1,000 responses and the ‘overwhelming majority’ (97 per cent) were ‘totally against the introduction’ of these new charges.

The councillor added: “I am delighted that this Labour council have reversed their ill-thought plans to introduce these charges. Overwhelmingly the people I spoke to were against their introduction.

"I would like to say a huge thank you to the 1,000 people who responded to my survey and to the many others who raised their own online petitions and posted this over social media. Collectively we have forced this council to back down. Together our voices have been heard."

The council launched The Big Listen last summer, as part of its ‘new approach to engaging and working’ with the community on the ‘issues residents care most about’.

"Listening to the community and making it as easy as possible for everyone to be heard is central to the way the council works,” a spokesperson said.

Councillors took part in three public meetings online about the proposed car parking charges increases and spoke to residents and traders in Goring and West Worthing. They also received ‘scores of emails’ from the community on the issue.

Martin McCabe, Worthing’s cabinet member for regeneration, said: “As a council for the community, listening to our citizens before we make decisions is at the heart of how we operate.

“It was right for us to look at the possibility of introducing charges at our free car parks, and after conversations with the community we’ve decided it’s right not to do so.

“We will continue to work in partnership with all of our residents and businesses to make sure we help Worthing to become better for everyone who lives here.”

The council said introducing charges at certain hours of the day in the free car parks would have brought in an estimated £42,000 a year. Councillors will instead revisit the plans for the next 12 months to ‘look for ways to find the money elsewhere’ to ‘help balance the budget’.

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