Drivers scared off by bluebottles?

12:20pm Thursday 4th September 2008

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Traffic wardens and high car parking charges are pushing shoppers and diners out of a Sussex town, according to traders. But is the situation in Worthing really worse then anywhere else? Miles Godfrey reports.

It wasn't long ago that you could park in Worthing – indeed, a lot of places – for five minutes and not get a ticket.

But no longer.

The advent of decriminalised parking across Sussex has taken responsibility away from the police and put it in the hands of private companies.

Worthing has undergone one of the biggest transformations under the new regime of decriminalised parking.

While it remains a popular town with people of all ages, there is anecdotal evidence that some are being put off it because they fear they will be ticketed.

The argument that if you park legally there will be no problem, obviously still holds true.

But there are instances where people need to pull over on yellow lines for brief periods, or simply misunderstand the rules.

Meanwhile the presence of wardens even during the early evening is also said to put people off parking.

Andy Sparsis, owner of the Fish Factory restaurant in Brighton Road and the Food Restaurant in New Street, believes business owners are being affected by the stringent regulations and called for less regulation at night.

NCP Services wardens in Worthing now routinely patrol far longer hours then ever before and allow less leeway than under the old regime.

But Mr Sparsis said the issue should be put in perspective with other towns and cities, which he says are worse off.

Mr Sparsis said: “I spend a lot of my time in Brighton and Worthing is much better off in terms of parking.

“The main problem is in the evening. Because the traffic wardens operate until 7pm a lot of people simply don’t park until then.

“It’s always going to be busy parking in the middle of the day. I accept that.

“But I do think the regulations should be relaxed in the evening to allow people to park near bars or restaurants.

“Most food and drink outlets are suffering at the moment because of the economic climate.

“They are not being helped by this type of enforcement.”

Paul Holden, Worthing resident and editor of the sister paper of The Argus, The Sentinel, also believes the regime is having a negative effect.

He said: “The parking attendants, who wear bright blue coats, have been nicknamed Bluebottles or Smurfs by residents.

“They regularly patrol in twos or threes, cameras and ticket machines in hand, to snare unwary motorists.

“It is most definitely having an impact on people’s perceptions of Worthing, which appears less friendly and welcoming to visitors who, once bitten, will not return.

“I recently heard two elderly gents chatting about car parking in the changing rooms of the Aquarena swimming pool.

“One said he now shopped in Horsham, while the other preferred Crawley.

“They had been driven out of Worthing by the high cost of parking in the multi-storeys and the over-zealous actions of ticket-happy wardens.

“Usually controversies die down after a time and the news agenda moves on but the row over parking has continued to rumble like a relentless case of indigestion.

“The borough council seems impotent in the face of mounting criticism from motorists and traders, who fear shoppers are now shunning the town centre.

“This has very serious implications for stores already battling against the credit crunch and this summer’s poor weather.”

Deputy leader of Worthing Borough Council Ann Barlow acknowledged parking had become a thorny issue in the town.

She said: “It has been a bone of contention for some time.

“Quite clearly nobody wants illegal parking everywhere so there is a balance to be struck.”

Coun Barlow also called on NCP to lower its prices at its multi-storey car parks in Worthing.

Stricter She added: “I do think they should review them. We parked at the theatre the other day for six hours and it cost £7.

“Lower charges would help everyone.”

NCP Services said it was confident the new regime was working satisfactorily in Worthing.

A spokesman said: “It has been running for some months now and while there may have been an initial period of settling in, it is a situation which is working well now.”

The bad news for motorists is that even stricter parking enforcement could be on the way.

West Sussex County Council has already looked at the possibility of creating new offences and at using CCTV cameras to enforce them.

This type of regime is already commonplace in parts of London – and could be coming to a street near you.

Have wardens and high parking prices put you off driving to Worthing? Tell us below.