Councillors to consider offering free parking for hotel guests at Norton Road car park in Hove.
Brighton & Hove City Council has been considering whether better use could be made of the car park, which operates below full capacity.
A decision is expected at the environment committee’s next meeting on March 4.
The authority has been looking at whether to cut prices at the car park, or make it free at certain times. However a report for councillors says it would not make much difference to uptake since charges were already low, Tesco in nearby Church Road offers free parking and free parking offered at Norton Road in December brought no significant change in use.
The reports adds that parking charges generally help to ensure regular turnover of parking spaces, increasing footfall and spend.
Chair of the environment committee Cllr Pete West said: “Hotels often say parking for their guests is a tricky issue. So this new idea could be a way of helping store guests’ vehicles while they get about the city walking or using sustainable transport. If it would help our hotel and tourism sector; it’s something I’d like us to do.
Cllr Graham Cox the Conservative spokesperson for transport, said: “This is a start but much more could be done.
“Norton Road car park is unused on Sundays and underused the rest of the week. It is shabby and unloved.
“Our position is that in the short term the Conservatives would also providing free parking on Saturdays and Sundays, allow holders of residents’ parking permits to use the car park for free (thereby freeing up on street parking spaces), advertising Norton Road car park as an ideal place to park to catch the frequent connecting bus service into the centre of Brighton.”
The Conservatives believe that in the medium/long term the site should be redeveloped – with a new car park, homes, shops and small business space on the site.
Many small hoteliers in Brighton and Hove claim business was affected by the original increase in parking charges introduced by the Green administration and say business has not returned to the levels enjoyed before the parking price hikes.
Most hotel beds in the city are located in Brighton to the east of Old Steine.
Labour Cllr Gill Mitchell, Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, concluded: “this proposal is an interesting idea and is certainly worth a try”.
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