Leave the classic car fans alone & stick to the important things
For the last 13 years or so, a bunch of classic car enthusiasts known as Manhood Classics have been meeting at a public car park in Selsey, on a Sunday Morning, and having a coffee and a chat.
You would think this would be a nice community activity that would be encouraged, by what is actually a facility owned by the community. However, Chichester District Council have ruled these gatherings illegal, despite there being no admission fee, no trade stands, and no commercial activity. Fundamentally people are going to car park to park their car. Is this not what it’s there for?
A few weeks ago, I spotted another group of people using the car park in a similar way. Mums. They had done the same, stopped in the car park and popped to the kiosk for a drink, whilst their children rode their scooters. I also saw a group that had stopped to meet. Dog walkers, they also had a coffee and were chatting.
This activity must stop, and I would urge the District Council to take similar punitive action, to stop the use of the car park. In fact, they should close the car park immediately, to stop anyone parking their cars legally.
The last paragraph is as bonkers as the stance taken by the council, but it has a much bigger impact that they fail to consider.
Ultimately these are community spaces, paid for by the community and used legitimately, and the stance has, perhaps unintended consequences.
The group, and the wider community take pleasure from meeting like-minded people, in the fresh air talking about a passion they share – The Kiosk obviously benefits from the extra trade, but so does Selsey as a whole. The same people may go for a Boulevard Breakfast, or a roast at The Lifeboat – Passing traffic benefits the town, and Selsey needs that, being stuck eight miles away, it does not benefit from any passing trade, just an influx of visitors in the summer.
The consideration that is not given is that for some people, this may be one of the highlights of the month, so how does that impact their mental health?
So come on Chichester District Council – Leave them alone and focus on something important… Big Society and all that.