‘People Will Pay a small amount for their ticket, but the Money Will

Free parking in Herne Bay’s biggest car park will end in March as motorists face paying to use two others for the first time.

Since April, people using the William Street car park have enjoyed a complementary twohour period funded by developers of a proposed Sainsbury’s store in Broomfield.

The move was intended to encourage people to shop in the town following the opening of a huge supermarket on its outskirts.

But extending the free parking beyond March next year was dependent on a second cash instalment from developers, which is only payable when the store - which remains empty - opens.

It means from April 1 the old 80p-an-hour tariff will return.

Cllr Simon Cook said: “It is a disappointment, but the free parking was only funded by the money from the Sainsbury’s development.

“And because they have not opened their store in the town yet, we have not had the second bunch of money from them.

“Because we do not have the out-of-town supermarket, there is not necessarily the need for free parking in William Street.

“Free parking is something everybody would like, but there is not a need for it because the town centre shops do not have a supermarket as a rival.”

Council bosses also want to introduce charges in the Memorial Park car park off Kings Road and the Reculver Drive car park in Bishopstone. The first 30 minutes will be free, but a 50p-an-hour charge will apply thereafter.

Income from the charges will be ring-fenced to help cover the cost of grounds maintenance in both areas.

Cllr Cook added: “The charges are not particularly onerous and it is not free for us to provide these car parks.

“People will pay a small amount for their ticket, but the money will be reinvested in where they are walking their dogs, for example.

“I think it is a win-win for them.”