A SEAFRONT snooker club has revealed it is paying for its customers parking to avoid them going elsewhere after controversial evening parking charges were introduced. 

Amber Glasby and Phil Frost, owners of Pockets Snooker on Lucy Road, claim that customers are being put off by the previously free 6pm to 9pm parking charges introduced by Southend Council. 

The club charges £8 an hour for a snooker table and in a bid to encourage players to continue competing in leagues and using the venue, bosses are using their own profits to pay for customers to park.  

Owners - Phil and Amber with staff at the venue Owners - Phil and Amber with staff at the venue (Image: Amber Glasby)


Amber has called the 6pm to 9pm charge “terrible” for the business and fears the situation will get worse.

She said: “Our players don’t like paying more than they do and they don’t want to be doing £9 for three hours, whereas it was free after 6pm. We have to use our profits to pay for them, otherwise we will lose them.

“We have no tourists coming down to Pockets so in the summer our customers can’t park in the summer, and they must walk down.

“But in the winter we are massively punished, we rely on the locals and the car park is not busy, we feel they need to bring prices down.”

Currently, Southend Council offers the Southend Pass, allowing people to park for up to three hours in car parks and bays around the city, with an extra three-hour allowance when parking on the seafront between 6pm to 9pm. Seafront traders have rallied against the controversial charges fearing it will impact trade and put off residents and visitors from parking on the seafront. 

Amber added: “It is massively damaging and will become more so; it is still new and I am sick of having to battle the council over parking. Last time it was 8pm and they knocked it back, then stuck prices up, I just want a sensible daytime price and no parking fees after 6pm.”

Daniel Cowan, leader of Southend Council, said: “I understand the concerns raised by the owners of Pockets regarding the impact of parking charges on their business, and I would always encourage businesses to consider how the Southend Pass can benefit their customers, particularly those visiting Zone 1a in the evenings. Alternative free parking options are also available close to Pockets, including the council-run Tyler’s Avenue / York Road car park. This is located close to Lucy Road, offering free parking after 6pm as it is in Zone 1b. 

“The Southend Pass continues to be a success, with over half a million uses since April. Recent data show that usage has been high in the High Street and seafront, demonstrating how the pass benefits shopping and visitor areas.”