West Sussex: Parking fees extended in parts of county
The changes affect drivers using Mid Sussex car parks
Plans to extend fees in some car parks in West Sussex have been given the go-ahead.
Charges will be introduced on Sundays, Bank Holidays and evenings in East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill from January.
Critics have warned the charges will be a threat to businesses and the area's night time economy.
During a meeting of the cabinet on Monday, Mid Sussex District Council also agreed to introduce a resident permit scheme in East Grinstead.
Parking charges will be extended to 8pm rather than the current 6pm in all town centre car parks.
A day tariff of £1 will be charged on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Following feedback from residents living in the East Grinstead controlled parking zone, optional overnight permits will be introduced to allow them to park in the Queensway car park from 5pm to 9am.
The permit will cost £6 per month, £15 per quarter or £54 per year.
Chris Hobbs, cabinet member for leisure & customer services, said: "No one likes to increase charges, but increasing charges is necessary.
"Charges implemented as part of the council’s budget earlier this year have not impacted on the number of visitors to our council car parks.
"Visitor numbers are up, which shows clearly what we already knew – that the price of a car park is not the only factor in why residents choose to park in our towns."