POLL OF THE DAY: Should councils be allowed to charge residents £15 to park in their local area? YOUR VERDICT
More than 1,200 residents have signed the petition to remove the parking hikes
PA
Local drivers have been left fuming over a parking charge increase after a local authority hiked prices by 600 per cent.
Canterbury City Council has come under fire for its decision to increase parking fees in School Lane, Herne, from £2.20 to £15.
Having originally thought to be an April Fool’s joke after being launched on April 1, the move has been met with huge backlash from residents.
The change also saw a new £1.90 hourly rate introduced, the previous preferred prices were 60p for 30 mins or £1.10 for two hours.
POLL OF THE DAY: Should councils be allowed to charge residents £15 to park in their local area? YOUR VERDICT
GB News
In response to the hike, residents have started a petition which has already amassed more than 1,200 signatures.
It reads: “This is backed up by over 200 signatures/statements from angry locals and other visitors to the village. This ePetition runs from 11/06/2024 to 24/10/2024.”
Rob Davies, Canterbury City Council spokesperson, told GB News: “We accept that the change in approach to car park banding has resulted in an increase in prices at School Lane.
“But we have continued to allow free parking for the morning school run and in the evening for events at the Herne Centre. And residents are able to apply for an off-street residents’ permit which offers good value for all year-round parking.”
A whopping 98 per cent of GB News members who voted in the poll do not agree that councils should be allowed to charge residents £15 to park in their local area.
Just two per cent of those who voted thought that councils should be allowed.