Only vaguely, it has been several years, and memory was never my strong point. Still I do recall how weird it felt to have to pay for parking at a G/A aerodrome. 't Was on a nice sunday afternoon somewhere this time of year, and there were a fair number of people, mostly seniors, enjoying the fresh air and the sights of plane traffic. Even then I had a feeling spectators were only tolerated, probably grudgingly, and sure enough after sundown I was chased off the premises, none too gently either.
The contrast with any G/A field in France or Italy or even Germany couldn't have been greater. Possible exception for bizjet oriented fields close to main cities like Frankfurt or Paris, I never visited any of these.
The closest I remember is Sabadell, but that is quite in a different class of airfield. And even if I was chased off there too, after sundown, it was by a uniformed gentleman who was polite and helpful and much educated, he actually could and did speak two foreign languages. None of these could be said for the brutish chap pushing me out of Shoreham.
I am not aware of any recent-past or present policy to evict plane spotters after certain hours, unless they are airside in which case it is arguably correct to not have people wondering about there.
AFAIK all of Shoreham airport, except obviously airside, is a publicly accessible road.
Maybe the bit in front of the restaurant closes when the restaurant closes.
Still I do recall how weird it felt to have to pay for parking at a G/A aerodrome.
Welcome to the UK. Parking is treated as a profit centre over here.
The average Brit doesn't want to subsidise somebody else, and then is suprised that somebody else doesn't want to subsidise him.
To be fair to Shoreham, they had to do "something" to control the parking situation which had over recent years become totally unworkable. They could have more parking space but where to put that?
What could be done to help renters? Some sort of parking permit perhaps.