Canterbury council parking charges double nearest competitor

Canterbury City Council bosses said the revenue from parking makes up more than 25% of the authority's income

A council leader has defended parking prices after it was revealed the authority raked in £45m in parking fees in the last five years - more than twice its nearest competitor.

Fees collected by Canterbury City Council (CCC) dwarf the second biggest earners, Thanet and Maidstone, which collected £17m each, figures show.

The council said parking revenue makes up more than 25% of its income.

A businessman, however, said the charges "deter" potential customers.

The figures, obtained through Freedom of Information requests, reveal that Royal Victoria Place in Tunbridge Wells, Bligh's Meadow in Sevenoaks and Watling Street in Canterbury generated more than £1m each in the first nine months of this year.

CCC leader Ben Fitter-Harding told BBC Radio Kent: "We've got about 50 car parks across the district, and that's why our parking income is so high."

He said there is no discount for residents as locals know where to find cheaper parking.

"We think residents get a discount by choosing to park in the locations that have got pricing that is more suited to them.

"If we made it a free for all, it damages the city and our reputation in the long run."

'Be prepared to pay'

Mark Pegg, of The Brogue Trader in Canterbury, said high charges are driving customers away.

"If you've got a choice to come to Canterbury and get charged however much for parking, or go to Bluewater or Westwood Cross where you're not going to get charged, which one are you more likely to go to?" he said.

"As a business and as a retailer we're reliant on people coming into the city, and if there are barriers put up to people coming here then obviously that affects business."

Watling Street car park - Canterbury's biggest earner - has made CCC almost £1.2m this year alone, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Prices for a space at the city centre site and the nearby Queningate car park were raised by 40p to £3.20 an hour in April, with fees to jump a further 30p at the beginning of the next financial year.

CCC spokesman Rob Davies said the council "make no apology" about paying high prices for city centre parking.

"If you want to park there, that's fine, but be prepared to pay the higher rate. And people are prepared to do just that," he said.

The city council's profits from on- and off-street parking charges for the last five years are £18m - more than double anywhere else in the county.

Mr Davies said the fees help fund vital services like rough-sleeper support and homelessness.

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