Ongoing parking consultation woes in Lewes

With East Sussex County Council parking review of Lewes continuing as of last month (the initial phase began in January 2011), there has been some public response to the plans.

Among the plans proposed by ESCC are:

 

• free parking on Bank Holidays

• change in operational times

• changing some zone boundaries to include additional roads and make zones smaller and easier to understand

• double yellow lines at junctions

• A number of changes in specific streets.

The third point is a particular bone of contention in the town – which largely hates the current scheme, introduced in 2004 – it has been interpreted as an expansion of the boundaries and is therefore a revenue raising exercise.

In response to the January consultation some the vast majority of residents, businesses and visitors that responded to the January consultation answered that they did not want an expansion of the zones.

However the response from'Friends of Lewes' was as following: The Society has supported the concept of increasing the off-street parking in the town, especially as a large number of off-street spaces were lost in the grounds of Lewes House.

In the Society's opinion this is best achieved by tiering an existing car park, its preference being for those closest to the river and commercial centre of the town."

All residents, visitors and business owners living in the town are applicable to take part in the survey (details to be found here).

There is a final surgery session on the issue takes place this week: Wednesday 20 July, 1-9pm St Thomas à Becket Church Hall, Lewes.