Unlike West Sussex, we have been in several towns in East Sussex where there are free parking lots. You can’t go anywhere in West Sussex without having to pay for parking or drive around looking for the rare free spots with time limits. In Uckfield, every lot was free. In Crowborough, there is a large lot that is free, right in the middle of town. You can walk across the street to the library and to the supermarket and take care of all your errands in one trip.
I miss the free parking in the US. Over there, if you go to church, there is a large parking lot. When you go the supermarket, there is a large parking lot. When you go to the library, there is a large parking lot. In England, buildings were put up years ago before parking lots were needed, so there are few parking spaces available. In order to provide travelers with parking, parking lots were built and fees were charged in order for towns to make some money. I suppose the higher council tax in some areas help pay for these parking lots.