Rye Market announced this week that it is freezing car parking prices for a year.
It means local people and visitors can continue to park in the centre of Rye for just £1 a day.
The decision was announced on Wednesday when the board of directors of The Rye Cattle Market Co Ltd held their 149th AGM.
Chairman Larry Cooke, fr
om East Guldeford, said: "The charges will remain at £1 a day for the next year.
Secretary Colin Stutely said: "The people who park there during the week are our customers on Thursday and we did not want to hit them in the pocket during the current difficult times."
By contrast the Rother Council run car park just yards away in Cinque Ports Street, charges nearly five times as much at £5.50.
The market company is looking forward to celebrating 150 years in 2009.
It was originally a sheep market held on the site of the Market Road and highway of Cinque Ports Street, with tolls being collected by the Pomfret family who were local landowners and bankers.
The current market site came about in the nineteenth century and was subscribed to and supported by local farmers, dealers and tradespeople.
Upon the company's formation, a plot of land was acquired from the Revd George Augustus Lamb.
The site consisted of two acres of level ground adjoining the railway station.
In the same year of the company's incorporation, a contract was entered into for the erection of a central Market Hall and arrangements made for ample stock pens.
The company also arranged for the provision of railway sidings to the market which enabled stock to be transported by rail.
In 1913 extensive repaving was carried out at considerable cost, making the whole of the paving of the market in a good condition and suitable for vehicles which were entering the market with Stock.
Today, the company, most of the 30 shareholders of which are the heirs of the original founders, has progressed and now manages a thriving local business.
There is no longer a livestock market but Rye hosts, every Thursday, one of the largest weekly general stall markets in South East England, outside London.
The site also provides the largest car park adjoining the shopping centre of Rye.
There is a Café and Martyn Channon's Country Store on the site.
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