Parking Permits - The Best of a Bad Job

Parking Permits - The Best of a Bad Job
1,200 wonderful people in Steyning sent in objections to Horsham District Council’s plans to start charging for car parking in Steyning. Horsham District Council ignored us and their ill thought out scheme started on 3rd April 2017.

However the baby should not be thrown out with the bath water and so if you park in Steyning (and it pains me to say this), please buy a new parking permit. This is now the cheapest and easiest way to park and much better than if people stop using the High Street – which people will if they have to pay to buy a loaf of bread! Currently permits can only be purchased direct from Horsham District Council (01403 215100).

A Joint Working Group has been set up in Steyning to monitor the new arrangements and will be meeting with HDC officials later in the year to discuss possible changes for 2018. We do not believe there has been sufficient publicity about the new permits or the possible time extensions you can acquire by buying tickets simultaneously, so the group has funded (out of our own pockets) posters which are kindly being reproduced here free of charge by Your Steyning.

It is rather galling that we find ourselves subsidising the poor job HDC have done in advertising their own (unwanted) scheme but there we are. The group is also conscious that roads in the centre of Steyning could become a victim of people choosing to park elsewhere. We will keep this under review. If you live in an affected road you may be interested to know that highways come under the jurisdiction of West Sussex County Council. You will be aware that there are public elections to this august body at the start of May so if a candidate comes to your door, you may wish to ask them what they propose to do about it!

Can I say a personal thank you to everyone who supported the campaign to keep car parking free, especially to members of the Steyning Parish Council who supported it so whole-heartedly. Please don’t confuse the Parish Council with the District Council. This year we must make the best of a bad job with the new parking scheme but fear not, we will be lobbying for change next year.