Disappointed neighbours feel "let down" as plans to build a car park next to a busy railway station have fallen by the wayside, with the plot now eyed up for a Gypsy family instead.

Homeowners in Pluckley, near Ashford, insist the area is struggling to cope with "ridiculous" congestion, with some commuters even asking to leave their vehicles on residents' driveways due to a lack of space.

It comes after plans were submitted to Ashford Borough Council (ABC) for a 0.8-acre plot of land bordering Pluckley railway station, to be converted into residential use for one Gypsy family of two parents and their 12 children.

Villagers say the brownfield site, which would host a mobile home, four touring caravans and a welfare trailer, should have become an additional car park for commuters given its proximity to the station.

Network Rail has confirmed the former coal yard plot in Station Road was previously earmarked for parking.

A spokesman said the privately owned land was going to be managed by National Car Parks (NCP), but the arrangement fell through.

Pluckley station currently has one car park for rail passengers with space for 50 vehicles.

However, the proposed plot of land next to the station would have approximately added a further 16 spaces had it been converted into parking.

Dearing Close resident Michael Worrow, 83, believes this would have been the "logical" solution for the abandoned plot.

"The village is already so busy,” the former mechanical engineer said.

"I have no doubt the family which want to move there are lovely people, but there are lots of people in the village now.

"So many lorries are up and down Station Road every day using it as a cut-through to get to places like Chilmington Green and Charing, and they have absolutely torn the roads to shreds.

"The congestion though is mainly caused by more commuters using the station, but who park here, there and everywhere because its car park is too expensive.

"This is why a lot of us are feel confused and a bit let down by this plan as a car park was mentioned there in the past.

"We've all lived here for years expecting that piece of land to be for parking at some point because of how logical it would be."

Drivers using Pluckley station car park currently have to fork out £5.40 per day or £22.90 for a weekly ticket.

Meanwhile, an annual fee would set passengers back £873.

Station Road homeowner Joseph Casbolt says both the lack of spaces and the price of parking at the station is forcing commuters to park unacceptably.

The 83-year-old says the problem will only be worsened once Otium Lake, a 31-home development opposite the station, is completed soon.

"We're the forgotten village," the retiree added.

"Our main concern is the lack of footpaths as you can't walk down the main road anymore with the number of cars. It's just not a rural place when there's so many houses being built.

"We've been here since 2019 and it's just been continuous developments and hundreds of lorries every day.

"But parking fees are just too big at the station and it's a big part of why it's so busy. We have people asking to park on our drive because they don't want to pay there.

"There's just a lack of access already and caravans are going to make that worse over the narrow bridge.

"It's just absolutely ridiculous and it will take somebody to die before something happens on this road with the number of cars and lorries now. That’s what our concern is with this plan - the congestion here which is just being ignored.”

A mum who lives nearby, but didn’t want to be named, echoed Mr Casbolt's views.

She said: "I thought it was going to be another car park.

"People park dangerously by our drive.

"The village does need some housing for those who are priced out.

"So we knew the land was always going to get developed.

"But we need paths and improved roads."

Documents lodged with the application, prepared by Robert Tutton Town Planning Consultants, say the family who wish to move in previously lived in Ashford, and the father is a licenced scrap metal dealer who works in the nearby area.

Some eight character references from clients and companies are provided, describing the dad as “helpful, pro-active and respectful”, as well as trustworthy and reliable.

The documents add that Pluckley's Neighbourhood Plan 2016-2031 makes reference to the plot being earmarked for parking.

Prepared by Pluckley Parish Council, the plan reads: "We will seek to alleviate parking at the station by the provision of extra parking.

"The old coal yard site to the south of the station is supported for development as a managed car park if a solution can be found to access it safely."

However, as this has not materialised, the application argues residential use should be created for the family as it would provide "much-needed provision for five Gypsy pitches".

To see more planning applications and other public notices for your area visit the Public Notice Portal

The documents add: "Neither vehicular nor pedestrian movements generated by this proposal would cause danger or inconvenience to users of the public highway or be materially harmful to neighbours."

A decision on the application is expected by August 29.

NCP declined to comment when approached by KentOnline.