Dover District Council delays parking fee introduction

Reach Road car park in St Margaret's saves some people parking on the road

A Kent council has backed down from introducing fees in car parks that are currently free, amid concerns it would impact independent businesses.

Car parks in St Margaret's Bay, Ash, Walmer and Deal would have been affected.

Dover District Council (DDC) received 200 objections to proposals to introduce charges of £1.80 an hour.

However, some car parks, including nine in Dover town centre, will still see a price increase.

From April, Camden Crescent, Ladywell and Maison Dieu will be among the car parks with fees increased by 20p per hour.

Robin Burkhardt, manager of The Old Curiosity Shop in Dover, said: "The increase in parking is another nail in the coffin for small independent traders in this town."

DDC cabinet member for community and corporate property, Charlotte Zosseder, suggested keeping the flat 20p increase in costs, but cancelling all the other changes pending a full review of parking in the coming months.

"The parking review will give us a great opportunity to consider all sides of this and to consider and balance options going forward," she said.

'Chaos and congestion'

Fierce backlash prompted the district council to keep prices as they are in certain areas, including The Street in Ash, Eastry High Street, Wingham High Street and Reach Road in St Margaret's.

Parish council chairwoman for St Margaret's, Rebecca Simcox, claimed the proposed price hike would have driven people away from the pub, post office and village shop.

She said: "We haven't got lots of off-street parking - this village was designed a long time ago, we had horse and carts then."

The free car park was important because "it's chaos and congestion when people are parking all the way down one road," she said.

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