The hoteliers spoke out at a meeting of the Eastbourne Hospitality Association this week after parking officials from East Sussex County Council gave a presentation on the controversial new scheme which was introduced last month.

More than 100 hoteliers attended the meeting to listen to Mark Valleley and John Robbins, the county council officers behind the scheme.
But their presentation prompted a hostile reception from the hoteliers and a barrage of angry questions.

The hoteliers believe visitors are not coming to the town because of the parking problems and are disgruntled at not being able to park near where they're staying.

The EHA, which represents hotels, guesthouses, self-catering apartments, attractions and restaurants in the town, says its members claim the parking measures are turning Eastbourne's seafront into a ghost town, bringing a downturn in trade and the situation will be exacerbated in the summer months.

Members are also calling for an urgent review to have more spaces near to hotels for permit parking, improvements for car park signage and a park and ride scheme.

Paul Metcalf, owner of the Da Vinci Hotel in Howard Square, told the meeting the new permit scheme meant his guests could not park anywhere near his hotel.

It was creating a negative feeling anddetracting from guests' enjoyment of Eastbourne.

Ken Dobell, of the Alexandra Hotel on King Edwards Parade, said hotel guests were frustrated at not being able to use the special hotel guest permits for seafront parking as this was restricted to day visitors only.

He also accused the county council of not understanding the worth of hotel guests to the local economy, saying they spend 10 times more in the town than day-trippers.

Jerome Farrow from the Marine Parade Hotel said he was also experiencing difficulties with the delivery of goods and laundry with over zealous wardens stopping business.

Chair of the EHA Heidi Cowderoy, who owns the East Beach Hotel, said, "Feelings at the meeting were running very high indeed and some of our members feel they are in real danger of going out of business.

"Many feel Eastbourne could become another Torquay with the parking issue forcing business elsewhere.

"We will be meeting monthly with the county council to make our views known and to see if more can be done."

A spokesman for East Sussex County Council said, "One of the main aims of the parking scheme is to make it easier for all people visiting the town to find a space in the town centre.

"We have introduced hotel guest permits which enable hotel guests staying overnight to park in any shared use of permit bay for a charge of 50p per day.

"However, these permits are not valid in the pay and display bays on the seafront as these need to be kept free for other people needing to park on the seafront including conference delegates, theatre goers, diners, shoppers, people visiting the beach and people walking on the promenade.

"Where possible, we have addressed specific local concerns and will continue to work with the hoteliers to achieve the objectives which we both share."