Drivers have been warned they have less than 60 days to prepare for new parking charges which will see petrol and diesel owners pay more.
It comes after East Sussex County Council has proposed increases to on-street charging rates for parking depending on vehicle emissions.
The changes will come into force on April 2, 2025, and will see drivers pay various rates depending on location and length of stay.
On top of hourly payments increasing, the cost of resident, visitor and business permits with discounts for disabled motorists and low emission vehicles will also rise.
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Petrol and diesel owners will see costs skyrocket for parking permits
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The permit hikes will see higher polluting vehicles pay from £7 for Blue Badge holders and as much as £140 a year while lower-emitting vehicles will pay substantially less at just £17 a year.
The price of business permits will also see an increase with owners of low emission vehicles paying less than those with higher emissions. The cost of a business permit will increase from between £154 and £590 per year depending on the emissions output.
Permits for businesses with electric vehicles will see costs increase at a much lesser rate with rises going up from £108 to £140 for a 12-month period.
Meanwhile, there will be an increase in charges for on-street parking, which would range from 70p to £2.70 per hour depending on the location.
A spokesperson for East Sussex County Council said: “When the county council took over responsibility for on-street parking in Rother in 2020, charges were set at a lower level and have not changed significantly since. This reduces the influence the charges have on travel choices.”
The council explained that the charges for petrol and diesel vehicles would primarily aim to improve air quality in the region, but the move has already been met with mixed responses.
One person shared: “If you make parking more expensive, who is going to come to Eastbourne, when you can shop at The Crumbles for free? Eastbourne needs more visitors, not fewer.”
Another person claimed they would stop coming to Eastbourne altogether during the day as the car parking charges are “crazy”. “I’d love to get a job in the town centre also but there’s nowhere you can realistically park all day in town any longer,” they said.
Councillor Claire Dowling explained that charging for parking helps manage the demand in the region while also reducing congestion, which “has a positive impact on the local economy as well as air quality”.
She said: “When the county council took over responsibility for on-street parking in Rother in 2020, charges were set at a lower level which have not changed significantly since.”
At a recent council meeting, Councillor Ian Hollidge questioned how increasing prices for residents would create sustainable transport.
He queried what evidence there was to prove this occurred in Lewes, Hastings or Eastbourne and what evidence is there that Rother has an air quality problem, “which can be addressed by increasing fees”.
Hollidge warned: “These price increases will affect Bexhill most, these are above inflation increases, and it is justified by equating [prices] with Lewes, Eastbourne and Hastings.
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The new parking charges will help to slash pollution rates in the area
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“I think we all approve of equality, but should we not be focused on ensuring we are equal by bringing Wealden into [Civil Parking Enforcement] … because the way it is working at the moment is Bexhill residents … will be paying more to subsidise bus services in Wealden. Is that fair and is that equal?”