CAR PARKING
@ SALTDEAN LIDO
Parking at Saltdean Lido
Saltdean Lido will shortly be introducing parking management at the two Saltdean Lido carparks.
This is long overdue, and Brighton Council were about to introduce charging in 2019 just as we took over the lease. It is necessary to manage where vehicles are left and also to remove oversized and long stay vehicles such as motorhomes.
We’ve all enjoyed free parking at the Lido and so we want to make this as simple and unobtrusive as we can.
The headlines are that all drivers will be allowed 2 hours of free parking for everyone in both carparks. This should accommodate the majority of dog walkers, joggers, sea swimmers and people looking for short visits to the surrounding area, as well as Lido customers, to park at no cost.
Visitors to Saltdean Lido and the Saltdean Tavern will be able to park for free for the duration of their visit.
Charges will apply for drivers wishing to leave their vehicles in our car parks for longer than two hours while not in the Lido or the Tavern.
Our main intention here is to provide free parking to Lido customers in order to continue to attract visitors to help support and maintain the future of the Lido, while also providing free short term parking for dog walkers, sea swimmers and so on. Drivers wishing to use our car parks but not visit the Lido or Tavern are not excluded but will be required to pay for periods longer than 2 hours.
We will occasionally close the car park to ‘non-customers’ when we are holding events attracting large numbers of visitors.
Signage detailing all the terms and conditions will be installed in both car parks in the coming weeks, but we’ve listed common questions and answers here:
Common questions
Who owns the car parks?
The entire Saltdean Lido site, including both car parks, is leased to Saltdean Lido Community Interest Company (SLCIC), and we are responsible for managing and maintaining the site. We have an agreement with Saltdean Tavern that their customers can also use Car Park 2 (between the Lido and the Tavern) at no cost, but they don’t have any dedicated spaces.
How will this work?
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras will be installed in both carparks and will record the time vehicles enter and leave. Vehicles staying less than 2 hours will be ignored. Visitors to the Lido and Tavern should enter their vehicle registration details into a console as they enter the buildings. Consoles will be located in the Lido Main Building reception, by the Lido Pool receptions and inside Saltdean Tavern. (If you’re staying for less that 2 hours you don’t need to do this, but it’s probably a good idea to record your details just in case you stay longer).
What happens if I forget to record my registration details?
There will be plenty of signage in the car parks and also inside the venues to prompt and remind you. If you stay longer than two hours without recording your details at one of the consoles, you may receive a parking charge. (£100, reduced to £60 for swift payment). Any appeals against a parking charge should be addressed to the car park operator, Euro Car Parks. Saltdean Lido CIC will not be able to help you with this. Quite simply, if you are visiting the Lido just enter your details into one of the consoles as you enter regardless of how long you intend to stay, just in case.
How do I pay for Parking?
All payments are via mobile apps. To make this as painless as possible, a number of apps may be used including PaybyPhone and Ringo which are the most commonly used in this area so most of us probably have them on our phones already.
Can I pay by cash or credit card?
Cash will not be accepted. There may be a facility to pay via card using an automated telephone message, but we would recommend using one of the Apps.
Who gets the money?
The fees for parking will come to the SLCIC, less a small transaction fee per payment charged by the App company you use.
Why do you sometimes close the car parks?
Both Saltdean Lido Car parks are private car parks, and we reserve the right to give priority to Lido customers. Where we have a large booking such as for a wedding, a film shoot or a large event in the pool, we may close the carparks to ‘non-customers’ and perhaps provide reserved spaces for visitors and guests. At all other times we want to keep the car parks available for the whole community and free for the first two hours.
As a local resident, can I buy a season ticket to use the carparks?
Not yet, but this is something we want to introduce later this year.
Will you use the money to resurface Car Park 1?
All Lido customers will park for free. Any money raised from non-customers using our carparks will go towards the upkeep and maintenance of the Lido site. This includes the car parks and we will look at improving the surface in Car Park 1 as soon as money allows.
Do I have to pay if I have a blue badge?
The Blue Badge (Disabled Persons' Parking) holders are not exempt from any of the Terms and Conditions. We will look to locate disabled only parking bays near the entrance.
How will you manage parking?
If appropriate.Euro Car Parks will operate an ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) camera system to measure length of stay and people on site will address vehicles not parked in marked bays (where they exist) or other breaches of the terms and may issue parking charge notices.
If I am 5 minutes late back to my car will I still get a fine?
We have agreed with Euro Car Parks that they will allow a grace period before issuing a parking charge but you must ensure you drive out of the car park as soon as possible, rather than just arrive at your vehicle. We believe we have chosen an operator with a good reputation for being reasonable in this regard. They have an FAQ page here: https://www.eurocarparks.com/faqs/
What if I enter my car number in a console and then go to the beach or go into Brighton by bus?
Free parking is allowed during the duration of your stay at the Lido or Tavern only. We and Euro Car Parks have the ability to block car numbers at our discretion if people abuse the terms and deny them any free parking in the future. The scheme is as fair as we can currently afford to make it and we have deliberately not taken the easy and usual option of just charging everyone. We hope that people will understand that and support our efforts in keeping the Lido open.
