Greedy councillors on the Kent coast have managed to line their own pockets whilst simultaneously punishing local business owners, it’s being argued, as “extortionate” parking fees keep potential punters away.

Seaside business owners in Kent have been left hurting for customers, after their local council hiked up the price of parking.

As covered by local news-source KentOnline, car park visitation in both Whitstable and Herne Bay dropped by a staggering 30,000 last year, after Canterbury City Council implemented a new parking price regimen which saw some visitors having to stump up £3.70 an hour to stash their vehicle. Meanwhile, as local businesses struggle to keep afloat amidst historically low pedestrian footfall, CCC coffers enjoyed the addition of £2.1m of extra car park revenue as a result of the new fees. 

It’s all been too much for Justine Setterfield, who runs a small shop in Whitstable selling small-batch gin, and who has decided not to renew her lease citing the impact that the new “extortionate” parking fees have had on her business. 

“When we first came here, the car parks seemed to be full all the time – people would almost have problems parking,” she said. “Nowadays, I can walk in quite a lot of mornings and they’re half empty. It’s just the council lining their own pockets at the expense of the retailers and businesses.”

This sentiment has been echoed by David Cain of Cain’s Amusements: a staple addition to the seaside experience in Herne Bay for nearly 50 years.

“When things get tough, we should reduce the prices to get people here, not put the prices up,” he argued. “Sometimes, we need help…we don’t need a kick in the teeth.”