Mid Sussex District Council are intending to implement parking charges to the car parks in Lindfield that are run by them. However, there has been no evident assessment concerning why parking charges are required, nor a detailed plan on its implementation and cost. More importantly there appears to have been no consideration of the impact the proposal will have on our local community and businesses.

Please sign our petition to STOP carparking charges being implemented and protect our vibrant high street and the safety of our community.

The implementation of the proposed parking charges in MSDC-run carparks will have a detrimental impact on our local community, businesses and visitors as detailed below.

1.      Our community

1.1. The safety of our children

Currently, all the carparks in Lindfield are used by parents during school and nursery runs. Scrapping free parking and instating longer-stay parking will exacerbate current issues of poor parking on local roads (due to increased population) in Lindfield, particularly during term times when parents are trying to drop off and collect children from school and several pre-schools.  Increased parking on pavements, double yellow lines, across driveways and corners reduces visibility for drivers and parents with pre-school and school age children and creates hazardous conditions for children who walk to and from home on their own.  We need to prevent any accidents happening.

1.2. Accessibility to Lindfield Medical Centre

There is a high proportion of older residents in the local community who require easy access to Lindfield Medical Centre. Making parking cheap in the Tollgate carpark, and removing the current time-limited hours, would encourage all-day parking and take up space for patients who need to access medical services in Lindfield.

1.3. Local Residents will not be able to park near their homes.

Residents should expect to be able to park within reasonable distance to their homes.  However, implementing parking charges in council-run carparks, even for shorter visits, will increase the demand for space on nearby roads which are free.  Roads which would be directly affected are those near to Lindfield Medical Centre (Compton Road, Denmans Lane, Hickmans Lane) and near Lindfield Primary Academy (Backwoods Lane, Linden Grover, Meadow Lane). However, these charges are likely to impact on roads further away from the carparks, as was the case when the four-hour time limits were introduced. Chaloner Road and Hickmans Lane were significantly affected by this change.

1.4. It is likely to make a loss, taking funds away from other much needed areas.

With no evident assessment, the Parish Council deemed this scheme to deliver a loss to Mid Sussex District Council if it was not effectively enforced. MSDC parking enforcement appears to have had resourcing issues for many years. As taxpayers, we should not allow councils to implement schemes which do not have a tangible benefit but rather to invest in areas which supports the local community.

2.      Our High Street

The role and relevance Lindfield High Street plays in the lives of the community is evident. The high street boasts thriving pubs, restaurants, shops, services, halls and churches.  In return, our businesses and services are great supporters of the community, often sponsoring and donating to local schools and charities and running community events.

In recent research, conducted by Retail Week (Oct 2024), 73% of residents expect their high street to be just as important to them a decade from now and 62% considered parking a critical factor for a great high street.

Businesses in Lindfield  depend on footfall from the village and surrounding areas, as well as visitors from farther afield to continue to thrive.  With increased business costs, any drop in footfall will have an immediate adverse effect.  Empty shops will deter visitors – another vital lifeline for local trade.

These plans are already in motion so now is the time to petition against these carparking charges being implemented.  We must protect the safety of local residents, school children and ensure our high street continues to thrive.

Thank you.