Don’t penalise beach visitors

West Wittering Parish Council and West Wittering beach management company have submitted an application (number 3044530) to erect anti-parking measures on Rookwood and Cakeham roads.

Once again, if it passes, we are going to see West Wittering turn into an unwelcoming and unfriendly place for our visitors, bollards all over and residents’ furniture blocking road ends to restrict access.

This problem is not going to go away. With increased numbers ‘staycationing’ and coming to the beach to enjoy the coastline as is their right, the council has a responsibility not just to its residents, but to our visitors’ welfare as well.

There have been an alarming number of tickets issued by traffic enforcement officers for those who have become too frustrated with the lack of parking facilities, and have left their cars perhaps where they shouldn’t.

Their actions are not a reflection on our visitors’ indifference to the residents, but a result of the local councils failure to work with each other to come up with a positive solution to accommodate the extra numbers.

There are additional parking opportunities available in fields for a large number of cars on the north and south of Cakeham Road, and they could be managed by those already doing a similar job at East Head – it could even be a new revenue stream.

Either way, if the application passes we will once again be faced with bollards and barriers all around which in itself is an indication that not enough, if anything, has been done by those in decision-making positions to adapt to the situation.

No one wants to live under a bubbling cloud of parking resentment at the beach when it should be a place of happiness and family joy.

Please share your opinion with the planning office so we can encourage the emergence of a new solution rather than further penalisation.

JOHN ADDISON

The Crescent West Wittering