East Sussex County Council will be seeking views on plans to bring in charges at a free car park in Camber.
On 20th October, Cllr Claire Dowling, the authority’s lead member for transport and environment, agreed for officers to begin consultation on plans to introduce pay-and-display parking charges at the Broomhill Sands Car Park in Lydd Road.
The background report highlighted that income generated by the proposed charges would provide a budget for the ongoing maintenance and management of the car park, for which there is currently no dedicated funding. Any surplus income would be used to support management of the nearby County Council-owned Camber Sands Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Last year there were over 13,000 annual vehicle visits to Broomhill Sands Car Park. Visitor numbers to the site are influenced by weather and season, with sunny weekends during July and August being most popular. The car park has an estimated maximum capacity of around 300 cars.
As part of this proposal, parking for blue badge holders, cycles and motorcycles would remain free.
The proposed charges from 8am to 6pm are:
| Duration of Stay | 1st April – 30th September | 1st October – 31st March |
| 1 Hour | £2.00 | £2.00 |
| Up to 2 Hour | £4.00 | £4.00 |
| Up to 4 Hours | £6.00 | £6.00 |
| 4 Hour or more (Until 6pm) | £8.00 | £6.00 |
The proposed informal consultation will engage with local County Council, District and Parish Councillors, Rother District and Camber Parish Council, relevant council officers, local interest associations and and two businesses, The Kitesurf Centre and Frankie’s at the Beach, which each lease part of the car park from the council..
The informal consultation is proposed to last for 21 days and will be advertised on site, in the local press and on the ESCC website. It is anticipated that charges could be implemented from 1 April 2026 subject to the final decision on the TRO.
The consultation would also seek views from Rother District Council, which operates a number of other car parks in the area, already operating with pay-and-display charges, which cost up to £24 per day during the summer.
