Camber car park could see charges introduced

The free car park is currently used by about 13,000 drivers each year
- Published
Charges could be brought in at a free car park in Camber, if proposals gain the go ahead from a senior county councillor.
Claire Dowling, East Sussex County Council's lead member for transport and environment, is set to decide on 20 October whether to begin consultation on plans to introduce pay-and-display charges at the Broomhill Sands Car Park in Lydd Road.
According to an officers' report, the council is considering the charges to cover annual maintenance and management of the site, which has 300 spaces and is used by around 13,000 vehicles each year.
Any excess income, the report says, would be used to support management of the nearby Camber Sands Site of Special Scientific Interest, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Charges could be set at £2 for up to an hour, £4 for up to two hours, and £6 for up to four hours.
The council could also operate a seasonal all day rate for more than four hours, which the report said could be set at £8 during the summer season - between 1 April and 30 September - and £6 for the rest of the year.
Parking for blue badge holders, cycles and motorcycles would remain free.
An informal consultation on the proposals would see the county council seek views from residents' groups, Camber Parish Council and two businesses, The Kitesurf Centre and Frankie's at the Beach, which each lease part of the car park from the council.
The consultation would also seek views from Rother District Council, which operates a number of other car parks in the area, already operating with pay-and-display charges, which cost up to £24 per day during the summer.
Depending on the informal consultation results, the county council could then begin a formal consultation process, with any responses eventually considered by its planning committee.
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