Surprise freeze on car parking charges

The planned rises of up to 13 per cent were proposed for sites such as Fitzleet, Hothamton and the Regis Centre.

But Arun District Council's car parking boss, Cllr Paul Wotherspoon, has dramatically ditched the inflation-busting proposals as they were due to come into force and freeze the charges to keep shoppers visiting the town centre.

He said: "I hope keeping the parking charges the same helps the town centre.

"I made the decision particularly after all the representations I received from Bognor that people would like to see the charges kept as they are."

He ruled out getting rid of the charges because that could have been open to a legal challenge from a council taxpayer irate at having to subsidise motorists.

Cllr Wotherspoon's decision means that charges in Arun's sites will have stayed the same since April 2007.

The proposed increases would have taken effect yesterday just after another town centre shop '“ Mothercare '“ shut to take the number of empty London Road properties to three.

The intended rises would have seen motorists using the Regis Centre and Hothamton car parks having to find 70p instead of 65p for stays of up to an hour and 2.10 up from 1.95 for visits for three hours.

Annual permits in Fitzleet would have soared the most in the centre '“ from 88 to 100.

The steepest rises of all '“ 18.6 per cent or 59 to 70 '“ were intended to take place in the seasonal summer car parks such as Hotham Park and Gloucester Road.

The news of the fee freeze has been welcomed by those who attended a face-to-face meeting with Cllr Wotherspoon in Bognor Regis Town Hall last month.

Meeting organiser Cllr Paul Wells, who organised the session, said: "I think it's the right thing to do in the current economic climate.

"It will send a clear message out to residents and visitors that Bognor town centre is open for business and that we are trying to do what we can in these hard economic times.

"Hopefully, it will show businesses that they are welcome here."

Cllr Trevor Bence (Bognor Pevensey) said: "Cllr Wotherspoon has listened to us. This is good news for Bognor.

"It's the best we can expect, bearing in mind Arun's budgetary restraints, and it shows a commitment to Bognor from the district council."

Bognor Regis Civic Society deputy chairman Hugh Coster said: "I agree with what Cllr Wotherspoon has done and it is a step in the right direction. Bognor town centre can do with a shot in the arm right now."

But he and Cllr Wells said they wanted to see long-term moves begun to look at free parking in the sites as a further boost to shoppers and businesses.

Model shop owner Rupert Harper said: "Cllr Wotherspoon should have had the courage to scrap the parking charges altogether. That would really have made a difference to the High Street."

Motorists who break the rules in Arun's car parks are likely to pay more in the coming year.

This will help to make up 12,000 of the 30,000 predicted loss of income caused by the increases being scrapped.

Cllr Wotherspoon, who is Arun's cabinet member for environmental services, wants to increase the excess charge ticket from 60 to 70. The rebate for prompt payment will rise from 30 to 35 if the new charge comes in. These proposals are subject to further consultation.

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