Parking charges deter shoppers

will compound what I believe has been a series of bad decisions. Lillian Metcalfe

Ashford Road, Thanington

There has been much publicity about parking by Ringgo at the Seasalter beach car park. No mention at all that this method has also been installed at the car park in Tankerton Road.

Many local residents use this car park on a regular basis to visit the diverse range of shops and eateries along Tankerton High Street.

As previously mentioned not everybody uses a mobile phone or is able to install the app. Many are unwilling to divulge bank details for fear of these being hacked.

To phone to book car parking before leaving home is frankly ludicrous as people sometimes decide to park up on the spur of the moment.

This method of paying to park in Tankerton will badly affect the local traders who have worked hard to make Tankerton a pleasant place to visit.

To me this action is very shortsighted and will result in many turning away and travelling to Herne Bay where cash payments can be made to park. Me included.

Whatever happened to ‘Shop Local’ and support independent traders?

Gill Batchelor

Woodman Avenue, Swalecliffe

Another important point which hasn’t been mentioned so far in the current discussion about swimming and parking at Seasalter [‘Ringgo parking is ageist row sparks national debate’, Gazette, April 28], is that one can only swim within about half an hour each side of high tide.

The beach is so shallow here and the tide goes out for more than half a mile, so there is only a very short window available for swimmers.

This is in contrast to Tankerton and Herne Bay which have deep water for much longer each day.

Also, high tide is nearly an hour later each day, and so our swim times have to be worked out by the Tide Table, and can’t be fitted around the council’s parking schedules (or even, alas, when the sun is at its warmest and most welcoming!).

A lot of folk who live in Barnet or elsewhere inland, or who have only visited Seasalter at high

tide, might not fully appreciate this problem.

Another point which they mostly try not to mention is that the charge is not just £1.50 or £3.00, as Ringgo add on up to 40p to each payment.

It would be so simple if we could just go down at 4pm, but it doesn’t work like that.

Meanwhile we need a system that we can all manage. Books of prepaid vouchers that you tear off and put in the window perhaps as an optional alternative?

Jan Pritchard

Joy Lane, Seasalter