Much has been made of the new £30 Summer season charge at Camber Central Car Park, with some suggesting this fee is extortionate for a car park. That might be so in an ordinary location, but at Camber, for your £30, you get to park near one of the prettiest sand beaches in the UK, something that, for a family of four visiting the area, represents an affordable day out, certainly compared to other attractions such as wildlife parks, nature reserves and historic sites. In previous years, visitors have notoriously chosen to park on double yellow lines when the Car Park is full, at the inconvenience of local residents, and have therefore paid a penalty fee which is also £30+.
There is an issue with local Rother residents who want to use the car park during the Summer feeling that they have been unfairly hit with this fee, and this will no doubt be a comment that is addressed when the trial scheme is reviewed. That said, the scheme overall actually represents a saving for local residents as the costs (security, clean up, maintenance etc.) on so-called ‘red-days’ are no longer being shouldered entirely by Rother rate payers. Instead, it is the visitors using the car park, facilities and beach that are contributing towards the upkeep. So long as the charge does not dissuade visitors from Camber completely, it should work out to be a fairer, more sustainable solution.
Unfortunately the roll out of this new charge coincided with a patch of bad July weather, meaning that the initial lack of visitors to the area raised concerns. However, since the weather has improved, reports from the area suggest visitors have not been dissuaded from visiting, with many happy to pay the charge for a fantastic day out on Camber’s lovely sandy beaches.
Far from the doom and gloom portrayed on social media, it seems the scheme is not so bad after all. There will need to be tweaks, of course. That is why this is a trial. And after this Summer is finished, there will be a solid base of data and comments with which to review the details.
If you are visiting Rother and do not wish to spend £30 to park in Camber Central Car Park, there are other car parks elsewhere in Camber that do not cost £30 and other beaches along the District’s coastline. And we have of course got plenty of other wonderful attractions across our District from Rye Harbour and Battle Abbey to the De La Warr Pavilion and Sidley BMX and Skateboard Park. For just £30 per car, Camber is not a bad day out.
Read the full list of Rother Car Park Charges here
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