The demand from the civic society came from claims the town was suffering a second rate parking scheme compared to Littlehampton. This is because Bognor’s spaces are mainly in the unpopular Fitzleet multi-storey car park rather than ground level sites like Littlehampton. But Hugh Coster, the society’s deputy chairman, said Arun District Council had ruled out the extension at a private meeting. “We are all supposed to be working towards the same ends. We all want to regenerate the town. One of the most powerful things is free parking,” he said.