Call for hour of free parking in Kent town centres

A campaign has been launched to provide an hour of free parking in town centres across Kent.

Medway Council is being asked by two locals people to consider a year-long trial of the measure in at least one car park in each of the five towns - Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Rainham and Strood.

Campaigner Neil Davies said free parking "incentivises people to use the high street," according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Council leader Vince Maple said: "I suspect the financial burden of this particular request will be substantial."

Maple also said the demand comes "at a time when we are finding it challenging because of the pressures like adult social care on our budget".

In February, Medway Council reduced the cost of half-an-hour's parking from £1.90 to £1, in order to support high streets.

Davies and fellow campaigner Lauren Thompson submitted a petition for the move two weeks ago, which has received 71 signatures.

Thompson said: "We're not saying that it's going to fix the problem, that it's going to eventually be affordable.

"But what we want to say is, 'let's just try it.'"

Medway Council told the LDRS it had previously modelled the cost of providing a free first hour in 15 town centre car parks and said it would be about £1.6m.

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