How rogue car parking in Lee-on-the-Solent is damaging high street life

Parking problems in Lee-on-the-Solent High Street. Picture: Lorna Jackson

INDEPENDENT traders in Lee-on-the-Solent claim that the lack of parking law enforcement in the high street is damaging businesses – and a councillor wants to take their fears to the top of Hampshire Constabulary.

After the last traffic warden in Gosport was made redundant last December, businesses are noticing that more cars are being parked for periods of up to a couple of days.This, they say, means that shoppers are being driven away to other areas due to the lack of parking spaces.

Restrictions for parking on the High Street are that vehicles should only be parked there for an hour.

Deb Watts, owner of The Wine Bank, said: ‘We have noticed that cars are being parked for days on the High Street, which is causing customers to go elsewhere to shop as they can’t find a space to park.

‘People like to pop into the shops, get their shopping and go.

‘Customers are mentioning to us when they do eventually get to us, that it’s so frustrating as they just wanted to pop in, which never used to be a problem.’

The owner of Moto Mart, Tony Salter, has criticised the council’s approach to coming up with a solution.