Field owner hails car park trial ‘a huge success’ – but not all agree
A former property developer proposing to use the field he owns next to Prinsted foreshore as an overflow car park has hailed a trial of the scheme a ‘huge success’ – but not all residents agree.
For 23 days over August and September, Peter Yeates used the former paddock he owns opposite his home to provide 54 car parking spaces. During this time, it was used by 1,150 vehicles and helped ease congestion in the village, according to Mr Yeates.
Earlier in the summer, the 64-year-old said the beauty spot had been ‘rammed with cars’, but during the trial: “There was no congestion in the village whatsoever, there were no cars parking across people’s drives, no lanes blocked. I think it was a huge success.”
He said feedback from residents and tourists had been ‘mostly extremely positive’ with ‘over 115 lovely letters of support’ – but some residents are opposed to the scheme.
Jack and Ann Moss said they believed the majority of residents did not support the change of use development in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. They said the scheme would encourage additional traffic to the village, adding: “Mr Yeates is setting a dangerous precedent which will spoil this area of outstanding natural beauty and the character of the area.
“It will soon be like Sandbanks and our special wildlife will have disappeared because of all the pollution and disturbance created by all the additional cars being encouraged by providing this facility.”
Meanwhile, an open letter from ‘concerned Prinsted residents’ has been posted around the village which also argues that the car park would add to the volume of traffic. “We should be encouraging people to use public transport, which we are well served by, to visit Prinsted and paddle boarders with large vehicles should be directed elsewhere along the coast to areas that can better cater for their vehicles and their safety,” the letter reads.
However Mr Yeates stressed: “I’ve not caused the problem, the problem was there. All I’ve tried to do is offer a solution to the problem.”
He said Prinsted and the local area was ‘very much on the map’ and it had become ‘busier and busier’ over the last two or three years.
Mr Yeates is now preparing to submit a planning application within the next two weeks seeking permission for the scheme, as well as to designate part of the land a dog walking field.
Meanwhile Southbourne Parish Council has launched a questionnaire over issues of parking and traffic at Prinsted foreshore.
Councillor Jonathan Brown, chairman of the parish council, previously told the Observer: “The parish council is acutely aware of the pressure on Prinsted residents that has got much worse over the last few months, no doubt increased by the Covid-19 lockdown and greater publicity.
“We have been working closely with our district and county councillors, Chichester Harbour Conservancy and the police as well as local residents to try to come up with a range of short and long term measures we can take that might help ease the pressure.”
To have your say in the questionnaire, visit www. southbourne-pc.gov.uk