A free-to-use car park could face closure as a result of plans to create a council storage facility.
In an application validated this week, Rother District Council is seeking planning permission to install storage containers at the Beeching Close Car Park in Bexhill.
The application notes how the proposals would result in the “loss” of the free-to-use car park, although the council’s agents say the authority would consider bringing in charges should it not be used as a storage facility “due to rising costs of maintaining car parks and a need to increase revenue.”
The council says the 60-space car park is currently used by around 40 cars during the week and around 20 on weekends. The authority says these vehicles can be accommodated by other nearby car parks.
According to planning documents, the containers would be installed over several phases. The first phase would see 32 containers installed on the site sometime this autumn, which would be used to store food caddies ahead of national changes to waste collections.
A further set of containers would be installed on the site later in the year, which would be used for general storage of council property. The council says these containers would allow it to stop its current use of private storage facilities (some of which are outside the district), reducing costs and improving sustainability.
The exact number of these additional containers is not yet known, although the application notes how the council is considering adding either 19 20-foot containers or 38 10-foot containers.
Even more containers could be added to the site at a later date, should the council’s storage needs increase, the application adds.
If approved, the site would be secured through palisade fencing. Drawings also appear to show a security kiosk on the site.
For further information on the proposals see application reference RR/2024/1423/P on the Rother District Council website.
