In 2023, residents of Hollingdean were asked by council members to provide proof that the uncontrolled parking situation in their neighbourhoods had become untenable; to demonstrate displacement from the adjoining Fiveways parking zones, and to show that non-residents really were parking here in huge numbers.
This is that proof.
In response, residents launched a grassroots survey, initially conducted over a three-month period. During that time, they systematically documented the non-resident, displaced, commuter, abandoned, tourist (or a combination thereof) cars, taxis, vans, and camper vans using the area as a free car park.
In just those first three months:
- Over 2,000 reports were submitted,
- By more than 80 individual residents,
- Covering over 300 separate vehicles.
What began as a short-term project has since become an ongoing community effort. Many vehicles are tracked month by month, providing clear evidence of long-term stays, abandonment, or repeated non-resident use. Even today, some streets can see over a dozen new reports a week.
For the sake of fairness and accuracy, no vehicle appears on this site until it has received at least three independent reports. This does, however, mean that many known non-resident vehicles haven't been published yet. At present, there are more than 241 vehicles in our gallery.
This data demonstrates an ongoing strain on Hollingdean, where residents face dangerous parking, increased traffic, noise, and a daily battle to park anywhere near their own homes. It shows that on some streets, anywhere up to 90% of parked vehicles at any one time belong to non-residents. While some are left long-term, blocking precious road space, many are commuters and others drawn to the area by the lack of restrictions, increasing congestion and degrading both air quality and quality of life for local residents.
Featured vehicles
Below is just a small collection of some of the problems we face in our community. View more in our full gallery.