Residents upset over loss of greenery at village car park
Residents in a South Downs village are upset over changes being made to a local car park.
They said plants and trees were being removed from the car park – in Mill Lane, Storrington – amid the Queen’s ‘Green Canopy’ initiative.
Local resident Steve Good said it was also feared that the car park would be left with fewer spaces.
He added: “The changes mean the destruction of trees and planters in the car park, plus putting in dead end cul de sacs, and ending up with less parking spaces available than previously.
"And there is no provision for shop workers or residents that live in the centre of Storrington.
"We are all for improvements but we just don’t see where the improvements are.
"There are a lot of people upset about trees and plants disappearing, especially with the ‘Queen’s Canopy’ this year.”
The Queen’s Green Canopy is an initiative created to mark the Platinum Jubilee by inviting people across the UK to ‘plant a tree for the Jubilee.’
But Horsham District Council, which is carrying out the works, said the plants would be replanted elsewhere and that the car park changes will provide extra parking spaces.
A spokesman said: "There are currently 116 marked parking bays plus six blue badge spaces.
"The refurbishment will deliver 120 marked parking bays plus six blue badge spaces. The development of one cul de sac on one area of the car park will not create any less spaces for users.
"Two raised planting beds are to be removed from the centre of the car park in order to improve the customer parking experience and improve drainage in the area.
"The plants affected have been offered to a local gardener to be re-planted.
"The proposed improvements will also see increased parking bay sizes, an improved parking surface, improved drainage, new lowcost LED lighting and enabling works for EV charging points.
"Following the council’s introduction of an annual parking disc/permit scheme in April 2017, it was agreed that a proportion of income received via this scheme would be reinvested back into the district’s car parks to improve the overall customer experience."