READING some of the comments contained in Thursday’s Echo story about car parking in Southbourne, it is useful to consider three items which are relevant to the time since I took on the Transport portfolio two years ago: One trader spoke of the Council taking away car parking spaces in the High Street. It is true that there were changes made in Autumn 2015 to improve the public realm and allow buses and other traffic to move more freely and it did remove seven parking spaces on the High Street. However, those bays were replaced by those on side streets a mere 20 seconds’ walk away – hardly enough to “kill off trade” I would have thought.

The same trader suggested that offering (presumably discounted) car park permits to business owners would be a solution, but I really do not see how that would affect the number of customers.

And the whole story was tied together with the Council Cabinet’s decision to sell a car park at Southbourne Crossroads. For clarity, this is a car park where, save for the Air Festival, it is rare to spot more than one or two cars and which makes a consistent loss for the Council Taxpayer. Would it not be irresponsible to maintain the status quo when instead the Council could raise a seven figure sum to go towards capital and revenue-generating projects which can improve the town and keep Council Tax down for generations to come?

Southbourne is increasingly becoming a vibrant, exciting place to live, work and visit and I am proud that local businesses, both new and established, are working with the Council to ensure it continues to flourish. I do wish that the small minority who seek to run it down would see Southbourne like the rest of us do.

Cllr Mike Green

Cabinet Member for Transport, Cleansing and Waste