Parking in Eastbourne
It has been a debacle from day one; the Borough Council were going to introduce a new Controlled Parking Zone but after public consultation decided against it, because it was plainly obvious that the residents and business owners of Eastbourne were against it. The scheme was dropped.
Then the County Council jumped in with both feet and decreed that whatever the Borough Council and the people of Eastbourne wanted, the new parking scheme was going to be brought in and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Then at the last minute (after all the yellow lines and parking bays had been painted, and after 150 £3,000 each pay and display machines had been installed) the Borough Council had their legal challenge heard.
That challenge was overturned, but forced the County Council to re-think their plans and what has now been in place for almost a year is a hotch-potch of old and new parking controls and 150 machines that have never had their covers taken off. Their is also no enforcement, as the new wardens that were employed have no powers to serve penalty notices. So for the past year, traffic and parking in Eastbourne has been more of a nightmare than it ever was before the Councils started mucking about with everything.
Today comes news that the County Council have refused to entertain the Borough Council’s suggestion that the whole matter be put to a referendum of the people of Eastbourne, and that the County Council abide by that decision. Seems they don’t think it would be worth the £40,000 to £60,000 such a plan would cost.
And I must say that I agree with them. There would be no point holding a referendum on the issue; there have already been two public consultations that have been resoundingly against the scheme, yet they have continued to forge ahead anyway. A referendum vote against the scheme would, I am sure, be treated in the same way. So it is pointless. However, given that the scheme has already wasted somewhere over £500,000 I don’t see that another £60,000 would really matter all that much.
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