NO BACKING FOR CAR PARK SALE

Proposals to sell off large swathes of the city’s car parks have failed to get county council backing.

Residents have welcomed Kent County Council’s stance over the controversial plans to scrap 439 city centre spaces.

Last year the city council had voted to completely close Rosemary Lane, Hawks Lane, Northgate, Castle Row and St John’s Lane car parks. Spaces would also be lost at St Radigund’s, Longport and Holman’s Meadow.

While endorsing the city council’s overall transport strategy, KCC’s member for environment and transport, Matthew Balfour, has refused to back the sell-off.

Last week the Gazette revealed how council leader Simon Cook has admitted the plans may never see the light of day. The news has been welcomed by readers.

Craig Boornam, of Meadow Close, Chilham, said: “Surely we shouldn’t be looking at reducing people’s ability to come into the city. If the council have seriously looked at this option, then they have wasted time and money that presumably they can’t afford to waste.”

Patricia and Stuart Hammond wrote: “There doesn’t seem to be any proposals for parking of city centre residents as quite clearly park and ride services would not be suitable for us. The council states the proposal is for selling of the car parks for re-development for housing, which would in turn increase the volume of residents requiring spaces.”

City council spokesman Rob Davies explained that KCC would have no power of veto over the city council should it wish to sell off its car parks.

However, he said the authority would not be selling them unless it could demonstrate sufficient capacity elsewhere and without consulting the public first.