Businesses have rejected controversial proposals to introduce parking charges in a seaside town.

A ballot of Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce members led to a resounding no to plans tabled by East Sussex County and Eastbourne Borough Councils.

A controlled parking zone already exists in a small area of Eastbourne town centre and would continue to operate under different hours and conditions.

The councils also propose expanding the scheme into three new sectors - outer, intermediate and inner, covering Upperton, Seaside, Devonshire Park, Meads East and Meads West.

Opposition is gathering momentum and business leaders in Eastbourne fear the plans could create labour shortages and wage demands on employers.

A joint statement from the Chamber, Eastbourne Hotels Association, Eastbourne and District Enterprise Agency and Sussex Enterprise, condemned the plans.

It states: "Eastbourne's economy is dominated by smaller businesses, retail, hotels and hospitality outlets and other service sector firms that are highly labourintensive, requiring its workforce to have easy and inexpensive access to their workplaces.

"Cycling and walking will not be an option for many workers. These proposals will significantly increase employee parking charges, with the potential for labour shortages and/or wage demands on employers to compensate.

"The proposals have a notable lack of detail about the wider plan to improve public transport. These new proposals should be considered within a context of providing the public, including employees, with realistic alternative means of transportation, including for example, bus services, park and ride schemes and encouragement for more usage of off-street car parks.

"This is strategically crucial if the town centre redevelopment plan goes ahead with a vastly increased demand for service industry workers.

"The organisations are concerned at the level of increased costs to businesses and would ask that the business plan, including the justification of charging levels, running costs and the anticipated surplus, should be made available.

"There needs to be more detailed consideration of the proposals regarding specific user groups that are important to the local economy, such as the hoteliers and their guests, schools and other educational institutions, less mobile residents dependant on visitors and those living just outside the parking zones who may find their parking spaces suddenly desirable to those avoiding central parking charges, such as Old Town and the eastern Seaside area."

Under the plans, residents owning one car would have to pay £25 a year and £95 a year for those owning a second car. Firms wanting to use one zone for parking face a £500 annual charge or £900 a year to park in all zones.

A book of ten parking permits would cost £5 and a tradesperson's permit would cost £2 a day.

For shoppers and commuters, charges being proposed range from 20p for 15 minutes parking in the inner sector up to £6 for eight hours or more parking in the intermediate sector.

Motorists also face being charged to park along the seafront, with pay and display meters being proposed.

Like in Hastings, Brighton, Lewes and Tunbridge Wells, the aim is to free up parking spaces for visitors, ease congestion and counter illegal parking.

The plans are out to public consultation until March 10. Up to 13,500 information packs detailing the plans have been sent to homes and businesses to garner people's views before they are made public in June.

Council chiefs said feedback from the consultation could lead to changes before the plans are formally submitted for approval.

However, they are mindful of the strong passions roused by parking plans they tabled three years ago in Eastbourne which had to be reworked.

For more details on the proposed parking changes, visit www.eastsussex.gov.uk/currentconsultations .

Monday, March 6, 2006