Manhood Classic Car club was formed by a couple of local chaps in Selsey, Les Payne and Mick Hemmings in October 2010.

It was known that there were a lot of classic and vintage car owners in the Manhood Peninsula and neighbouring towns.

The pair , with help from enthusiasts friends arranged a get together at the large East Beach public car park in Selsey. They would enjoy a breakfast or just a coffee at the beachfront kiosk. As years went on, they moved their meet to Sidlesham Football club venue bringing together like minded and car enthusiasts.

As membership grew, there would often be 30-50 classic and vintage cars meeting for a couple of hours on a Sunday morning looking at the old cars from years gone by that gave a lot of pleasure to growing families back then.

When Sidlesham football club lost their FC and club house the enthusiasts returned to meeting once again at Selsey’s East Beach public car park. This was for a couple of hours on the third Sunday of every month. Between 30-70 would regularly attend this informal meet up and in summer months, up to 145 would meet.

Over the years the club would also visit other car shows in Sussex and Hampshire where they would raise their flag and promote Manhood Peninsula Classic Car club and enjoy their hobby.

Money would always be put in the parking machines at East Beach in chargeable months.

The club has no joining fee but members are invited to drop a coin or two into a donation box for running expenses. The club also has a handful of local businesses who give a donation.

Each year, after club expenses are paid out and with any surplus cash, donations would be made to local charities which included St Wilfrid’s Hospice, Selsey First responders, Selsey Community Forum, Selsey Lifeboat, Friends of Selsey Health Centre, National Childline, Young Lives V Cancer, Cat and Rabbit Rescue, Selsey 1st Scout group and others.

For many years the club would exhibit at Selsey Festivities on the recreation ground and the Selsey Carnival procession. Sadly these events no longer happen.

As of 17th December 2023, the club were advised that they did not have permission to meet in this way by CDC and this meet up had to cease. We were told that should we continue to do so, this may be considered criminal trespass and will be treated accordingly. The club was shocked as they were not aware that meeting in a public car park in this way needed permission. However, club members have now been advised of this and have been told that we cannot meet here as a club. The club, who have always had specialist car club public liability insurance have now raised their cover to £10 million, obtained an UpToDate HSE template risk assessment for the site and applied for a licence to hold the meets, which has been declined.

Over the years of meeting at East Beach, the club has never had a single complaint. Since advising on Selsey social media of the cessation of the organised meeting, hundreds of messages of support have been made by members of the public. Among the concerns expressed by the public included the loss of so many community events like the Lifeboat day, Selsey carnival, Selsey Festivities, Donkey Derby etc over the years. All of these bringing tourism and trade for local Selsey businesses .

The club also meet during the milder weather at Selsey Golf Club but of course, being on grass, this has limitations.

We are searching for alternative venues, but nowhere has the capacity plus facilities that East Beach have.

The club now await for CDC to write a legislation to cover the use of their car parks, a legislation that has not existed since the club started over 13 years ago.

This petition is to show how much support Manhood Classics have from our friends, members and the general public.