Camber Sands traders say beach parking hike is hurting business

Camber Sands is a popular, sandy beach with picturesque dunes

Traders at a popular beach on the south coast of England have said a flat rate car park charge of £30 a day is putting their businesses at risk.

Rother District Council is trialling the new daily rate at its central Camber Sands car park. The charge goes down to £15 a day after 15:00 BST.

The council said the hike from £3 per hour aimed to raise cash, and tackle congestion and antisocial behaviour.

But one businesswoman told the BBC she had "never seen a season this bad".

Vanessa Bibby, owner of Antonio's Pizzeria, told BBC South East her family-run business had been trading at Camber Sands for about 45 years.

"I have never seen a season as bad as this year's with the introduction of this £30 charge," she said.

Asked if the business could go under, she said: "It potentially could yes, because the bills and the wages still have to be paid."

James Hyatt, another trader, said there were a number of kiosks scattered around the car park site, each employing at least two people.

The council said the aim was to reduce congestion whilst also raising money to pay for services

"I would say 98% of the cars that are arriving are turning around," he said. "We haven't been open for a month, due to lack of footfall."

The scheme is being trialled until the start of September but there have been calls from the opposition to scrap it now.

Conservative Councillor Liz Hacking said: "The council is obviously not getting the money - the car park is empty currently."

In a statement, the council said the trial had been introduced "to reduce traffic congestion in the centre of the village and cover increasing costs of managing and maintaining services" at the beach.

A spokesman said blue badge holders would still be able to park for free during the trial and the flat rate charge would be reviewed ahead of the 2024 season.

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