Rother District Council pay and display machines to go cashless

Rother District Council papers said card payments were already used more frequently than cash ones

Pay and display machines in Rother will only accept card payments from March 2024.

On Monday, Rother District Council's cabinet agreed to progress plans to remove the coin payment option from its machines to cut costs.

When the changes take effect, customers will be able to pay by card at the machine or using RingGo, which takes payment online and by phone.

Customers will also be able to pay with cash, but using the PayPoint service.

The authority runs 24 pay and display car parks, 17 of which currently take cash payments.

The council's contract with a firm that collects coins from the machines - which costs £30,000 annually - is due to expire next year.

The change would also reduce the authority's carbon footprint by approximately 5-6 tonnes of CO2 per year as cash is collected three times a week, officers said.

Cabinet member Hazel Timpe, whose portfolio includes the council's car parks, said: "I think this is going to be difficult for people to accept, but I also understand why we have to do it."

Several councillors raised concerns about the practicalities of the changes, which included extending automatic permits to blue badge holders, extending the five-minute grace period before penalties are issued and inviting the De La Warr Pavilion to take car park payments.

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