Get set to pay for Sunday parking

As of April this year, visitors to Chichester City will have to pay for parking on a Sunday from 10am to 5pm. 

The Full Council has officially agreed what Chichester has been fearing after it was asked to review the decision it made last September. 

Visitors will have to pay £1 for four hours and £2 to stay for the whole day to use the long stay car parks, which include around 70% of the city's car parking spaces. Spaces in the city's short stay car park will charge the standard current tariff. On a slightly more positive note - season tickets in the City will cover seven days at no extra cost.

The changes will come into effect from 01 April 2012. They are only for Chichester city centre car parks owned by the district council. They do not include any of the rural car parks, where prices will remain at the current levels until 01 April 2013 when the matter will be reviewed.

Councillor John Connor, Cabinet Member for Environment, says: "As well as managing demand for a limited parking stock there are also huge pressures on council budgets up and down the country and we all need to try new ways of raising income. By introducing these modest charges we are helping to protect and maintain essential services in the district."

Obviously, this is not an ideal situation but something had to be done to say money. Do you think this was the right thing? Let us know whatever you think!