Tonbridge residents say parking charges will kill the town centre
Up until now, there were no charges on a Sunday or after 6pm in the town centre, under new proposals, it will now cost locals £3.20 for an additional two hours which has led residents in doubt over the towns future. Pictures: LDRS.
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00:00it's nearly nighttime in Tunbridge and another evening nearly over people are
00:05making their way back to their cars after indulging in a meal at a local
00:09restaurant or maybe just clocking off from work now this is one of Tunbridge's
00:13main car parks and there are only a handful of spaces free but in a month's
00:19time the car parking charges will be extended to 8 p.m. from 6 p.m. with an
00:25extra two hours of charges in the evening but people still be parking here
00:29parking fees will also come into force on Sunday and at this public meeting
00:40ahead of the rise residents believe that changes will kill the town
00:44decimated Tunbridge Wells where they've increased their parking charges on the
00:48Sunday Raynham in Kent seven oaks all these places charged for parking on a
00:54Sunday and look how it's made them ghost towns this is what I fear is gonna
01:00happen to Tunbridge I won't use the car parks in the evening I'll go to where
01:04there's a free car parking space like many other people do and the town would
01:08lose out but regardless of ever how much anger there was at this three hour long
01:13meeting the proposals have now been voted on so a set in stone I think going
01:19forward I've got to monitor the result very carefully and in short order to
01:23make sure some of these businesses don't suffer to an extent that they end
01:27up closing down and going forward I think the council and the council leaders
01:34learned that engagement with the residents needs to be a lot better than
01:38it has been the council leader was apologetic about the increase in fees
01:42but said the council had no other choice we've also never hidden away from the
01:47fact that obviously this does bring in extra income for the council I don't
01:50really want to pretend it it doesn't do because it does and obviously that
01:54helps fund important services that residents expect as well so I think it's
01:58only fair to be open and honest with residents across Tunbridge and Morland
02:01about that but at the same time I trust that they want a good well-run local
02:06council and also parking issues in the area to be addressed so that's why we've
02:10made the changes that we're making new fees and hours will be introduced from
02:14the 19th of August the council leader doesn't believe this will be the death
02:18of Tunbridge but locals at this meeting remain sceptical
02:22Gabriel Morris in Tunbridge