Free parking days for Christmas shoppers in Bexhill, Battle and Rye

At a cabinet meeting on Monday (November 2), Rother council leaders agreed to seek members’ views on plans to provide free parking in Bexhill, Battle and Rye every Thursday and Saturday in December. This would include Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve.

If approved, the first free parking day would be on Thursday, December 3 – the day after the national lockdown is currently slated to end. 

During the meeting, Cllr Kathryn Field (Lib Dem, Battle and Whatlington) argued the free parking should go ahead if the lockdown is extended beyond this date.

Cllr Field said: “Businesses need this boost every year, but they need it particularly this year. 

“If we are still locked-down then, which we might well be in December, certainly in Battle High Street there are plenty of food businesses who would welcome this. 

“The excuse that people often give for driving to out of town supermarkets are that it is heavy, there is more choice and they can’t carry it home  if they walked into town. 

“But if they parked for free then that excuse is gone. They can shop locally.”

The proposals for free parking follows a request from the Battle Chamber of Commerce.

According to council officers, the free parking would cost around £20,000 in lost income – as the average daily income from the parking in the three towns comes to around £2,170 per day.

While longer than in previous years, officers said the extended period would allow for less crowded shopping and better social distancing. 

The same meeting saw cabinet members agree to allocate up to £50,000 to improve the council-owned Wainwright Road car park, which is located just off Beeching Road, to the rear of Bexhill Police Station.

It is proposed fences are repaired and painted, new signs are put up and the car park’s lighting is improved. It is estimated that this work will cost £30,000.

Signs directing visitors to the car park will also be posted elsewhere in the town, costing around £20,000 to safely install.