Hampshire County Council apologises for Lymington High Street bank holiday parking charges ‘shambles’

THE county council has apologised for charging drivers to park on Lymington High Street on a bank holiday when it should be free, blaming a glitch.

The “technical issue” with the system came at a time when High Street parking is a contentious issue in the town, with local traders blaming the new charging system for driving away customers.

Lymington mayor Cllr Jack Davies blasted the issue as a “shambles” and said he was first alerted to it by the town’s taxi drivers.

He said: “High streets can often struggle on bank holidays because people go out of town.

“That’s the whole point of parking being free on the High Street – so that people are encouraged to stay and shop local.

“People have essentially been robbed by the ticket machines.

“It’s [the county council’s] fault Lymington is the only town in the New Forest with high street parking meters in the first place. The whole thing is a shambles.”

A Hampshire County Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of a technical issue with the high street payment machines over the Easter bank holiday period.

“This has regrettably resulted in some people paying for a ticket when this was not required.

“We apologise for the confusion and inconvenience this has caused.”

Anyone affected by this issue should email parking.services@hants.gov.uk for a refund.

They continued: “We continue to monitor the charging scheme in Lymington although since it was introduced, demand for parking on the high street has remained steady, with no noticeable drop in levels of usage.

“Charging helps to manage high demand for limited parking spaces encouraging people to park for their allotted time and then move on to free up spaces for others.

“Rates are consistent with those already in place in the nearby district council managed car parks.”

Lymington trader Gary Saunders, who owns Crystals and Boat House 27 off the High Street, said the council’s comments on parking charges were “crap”.

“Regarding their rates being in line with district council car parks – two wrongs don’t make a right,” he told the A&T.

“All the car parking charges have gone up by around 50% now in the town. If I put my prices up by 50%, I’d be out of business in a week.

“I’d like to ask the county council who they have had out there in the street counting the empty parking spaces, because we’re doing it every day.

“I never see anyone from the county council out there. The council is just spewing out a load of crap as always, someone in an office is paid to write up this drivel.

“I can provide the council with photographic evidence of how empty the high street is – and how often. I’m willing to sit out with any of their staff any day and count empty spaces.”

His comments followed a town council meeting where members voted unanimously to call for the reinstatement of one hour’s free parking in the High Street.

An online petition calling for the reinstatement of the one hour’s free parking has been signed by more than 2,800 people at the time of publication.