Residents in an East Sussex coastal town are facing no charges for parking on their streets following a long-running political wrangle.
A dispute between the borough and county councils over the introduction of a pay-to-park scheme has left Eastbourne a free parking zone.
The Tory-controlled East Sussex County Council had hoped to introduce the measure last October, employing a group of wardens and installing new meters along the seafront.
However the Liberal Democrat-run Eastbourne Borough Council challenged the move through a legal loophole.
Its solicitors pledged to seek a judicial review at the high court if it went ahead, forcing the County Council to suspend its plans or risk a costly legal tussle.
David Tutt, Eastbourne Borough Council leader, said: 'People in the town and local businesses clearly don't want it. Eastbourne is a high-cost, low-wage economy so paid parking could put them out of business overnight. Shops would lose custom and some of its workforce.
'We wrote to the county council asking them to withdraw the scheme but they chose to ignore that and press on regardless.'
The meters which Tutt claimed had cost £150,000 to install are now covered up, with no fines being issued while the case continues.
Bob Lacey, chairman of East Sussex County Council, branded the current free parking arrangements 'preposterous' and 'dangerous'.
He said: 'Eastbourne is like the Wild West at the moment. You can park wherever you like, the whole situation is totally out of control.
'There are reasons why you can't park on double yellow lines and on corners of roads, but now people are doing these things because there's no enforcement.'
A dispute between the borough and county councils over the introduction of a pay-to-park scheme has left Eastbourne a free parking zone.
The Tory-controlled East Sussex County Council had hoped to introduce the measure last October, employing a group of wardens and installing new meters along the seafront.
However the Liberal Democrat-run Eastbourne Borough Council challenged the move through a legal loophole.
Its solicitors pledged to seek a judicial review at the high court if it went ahead, forcing the County Council to suspend its plans or risk a costly legal tussle.
David Tutt, Eastbourne Borough Council leader, said: 'People in the town and local businesses clearly don't want it. Eastbourne is a high-cost, low-wage economy so paid parking could put them out of business overnight. Shops would lose custom and some of its workforce.
'We wrote to the county council asking them to withdraw the scheme but they chose to ignore that and press on regardless.'
The meters which Tutt claimed had cost £150,000 to install are now covered up, with no fines being issued while the case continues.
Bob Lacey, chairman of East Sussex County Council, branded the current free parking arrangements 'preposterous' and 'dangerous'.
He said: 'Eastbourne is like the Wild West at the moment. You can park wherever you like, the whole situation is totally out of control.
'There are reasons why you can't park on double yellow lines and on corners of roads, but now people are doing these things because there's no enforcement.'
