Interim plan in parking row town

Parking meters due to be activated in October remain under cover

Temporary parking restrictions are due to come into force in an East Sussex town blighted by a council wrangle over meters.

From 5 December, most of Eastbourne town centre will have a two-hour limit for on-street parking. Holders of free permits will be able to park all day.

Meter charging is on hold while the county council establishes if it can take on parking enforcement powers.

But parking charges will stay in place in Hyde Gardens and Devonshire Place.

Eastbourne residents and traders spoke of chaos on the streets a month ago, with claims of people parking anywhere and at any time because no enforcement was taking place.

'Warn motorists'

A county council-led pay-parking scheme was due to be introduced on 8 October, but it was postponed when the borough council mounted a legal challenge.

The dispute led to new parking meters being covered up.

Now the interim arrangements to prevent illegal parking and overstaying in bays have been agreed.

The county council said it initially expected to "warn motorists in most cases rather than issue tickets".

Councillor Matthew Lock said: "We are waiting for a decision from the Secretary of State for Transport about our application for decriminalised enforcement powers, but meanwhile I am pleased we are continuing to work with the borough council."

The Conservative county council's plan to charge for parking, and issue penalties to help fund the scheme, has been strongly opposed by Liberal Democrats in Eastbourne who now run the borough council.