Council officially drops unpopular parking charges

A campaigner says she is "delighted" after evening parking charges at a number of council-owned sites in West Sussex have now officially been dropped.

Charges for car parks in East Grinstead, Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath between 18:00 and 20:00 were removed at a Mid Sussex District Council meeting in February.

The local authority said it had not enforced the charges since then, however its final statutory notice has taken effect on Monday.

Hilary Sharp told BBC Radio Sussex the removal of the charges made "quite a difference" to the evening economy and for those on a tight budget.

The campaigner, from Burgess Hill, had helped organise a petition against the charges, which attracted several thousand signatures.

She added people had told her they would "think twice about coming" when the charges were in effect.

Businesses had complained the charges between 18:00 and 20:00 had impacted trade.

The U-turn came after 18 months after the charges were first introduced.

The change is costing Mid Sussex District Council £97,500 in lost revenue each year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.