RESIDENTS, businesses and drivers will be affected by the new seafront winter parking fees being introduced this winter.
Portsmouth City Council's controlling Liberal Democratic councillors have decided to continue the summer parking charge along the seafront at Eastney to year-round meter charging.
Whether they are dog-walkers, swimmers, joggers or pensioners wishing to sit and enjoy the view, this means anyone wanting to visit the seafront by car will have to pay and is likely to limit their time in a space.
The knock-on effects will be felt by seafront businesses, such as the cafes, because visitors will be watching the clock and won't linger to avoid being fined.
Alternatively, residents, particularly in Eastney and Craneswater, will be back to their usual summer problem of extra traffic and parking woes as drivers seek a free space close to the water.
This is yet another move from the anti-car council which, in the year to March 2023, raked in £4.5m in parking charges from users of the city's roads and car parks.
Adding to its obsession with one-way streets, which add to inconvenience, cycle lanes, which are rarely used, and encouraging e-scooters, as well as failing to find long-term solutions to the city's parking problems, the council seems determined to penalise drivers.
