Parking problems will drive people away from visiting Eastbourne

From: Tony FloodBrisbane Quay
Eastbourne
Seagull in Eastbourne Car Park (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-171201-003904008Seagull in Eastbourne Car Park (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-171201-003904008
Seagull in Eastbourne Car Park (Photo by Jon Rigby) SUS-171201-003904008

were trying to stop people coming to Eastbourne, they could hardly make a better job of it.

They claim that their decision to increase the cost of parking permits and ‘pay and display’ charges, which come into effect in April, will reduce congestion.

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Yes, they may achieve that – but in doing so will drive more shops, and hotels, out of business because eventually there’ll be a massive drop in local residents visiting the town centre – and tourists will be put off coming here.

Surely the closing of so many shops already in Seaside and nearby streets should have sounded alarm bells.

But apparently the respective councils do not hear them.

So more businesses will close and fewer people will come here.

The loss of department stores has occurred nationwide, of course, but the parking problems and additional poor facilities in Eastbourne no doubt hastened the demise of TJ Hughes and other closed premises that have become boarded-up eyesores.

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Council planning – or lack of it – in our town has left a lot to be desired.

The road works in Cornfield Road were hazardous and dragged on far too long, with people tripping over raised lumps of tarmac.

The new Beacon shopping centre, including a cinema which many people have criticised, has also been a big disappointment.

We used to have a perfectly good cinema in Sovereign Harbour shopping centre, with plenty of free parking outside it.

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But now the only cinema is in an area where parking is difficult and will soon be extremely expensive.

Theatre-goers, particularly those visiting the Royal Hippodrome, have already suffered from a chronic lack of nearby parking.

In the end many local residents will boycott the town centre and do their shopping at Sovereign Harbour or Langney, where parking is also free.

And tourists will opt for other seaside towns in which to spend their holidays.