The new Labour-LibDem coalition who run Canterbury City Council propose to raise more than £1 million in extra revenue by increasing car park charges!
In Whitstable, the busiest car parks currently charge £1.60 per hour which will rise to £3.70! The new tariff would make Whitstable more expensive than any other Kent coastal town and among the dearest in the UK. This is not just a tourist tax, it also affects local residents and businesses.
Previously only Canterbury's car parks were split into bands which determined the tariffs charged. But now, "to make it easier for motorists", banding will apply also to Herne Bay and Whitstable car parks. Band 1 prices will apply not just to 2 sites in Canterbury (Watling St. and Queningate), but also to 7 more, of which Whitstable has 5.
Proposals also include ditching seasonal tariffs, leaving residents with an all-year rate of £3.70 per hour to park. So, if you want to have a meal in a restaurant in Whitstable, go shopping or spend time on the beach, a 3-hour car parking charge will increase from £4.80 to £11.10, a rise of 130%!