A free car park used by commuters and residents is closing permanently before plans for its use have even been approved.

The piece of land, on Steele Avenue, Greenhithe, could be built on under plans put forward for a new medical hub - but residents and commuters are furious they are already losing their car park.

A resident of Steele Avenue was furious to see a sign put up at the entrance to the land saying it will be shutting on April 5.

She said: "I don't oppose a new medical centre but nothing has been approved yet so I'm not sure why the car park is closing."

Residents in the neighbouring roads have no garages and use the space to park their cars as they are only given one parking permit per household.

The resident added: "What are people meant to do who own two cars and the council only offers one permit per house.

"Buying visitors' passes seems ridiculous and expensive.

Spokesperson for Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents Association Peter Harman says parking is a constant issue and described the closure of the car park as "premature".

"I'm very surprised they are shutting it already. They haven't even got planning permission for the medical centre yet," he said.

He says the idea of issuing more parking permits is a tricky one as the council can't give out more permits than there are parking spaces.

"People are only allowed one permit per house but if they have more than one car they have a problem," he added.

"But they can't issue more permits than there are spaces because that creates its own problems."

A resident of nearby King Edward Avenue said: "I agree that we need a medical centre but I thought it was going to be in the empty land, not on the car park. It doesn't make sense."

The car park is a two-minute walk from Greenhithe railway station, making it ideal for commuters who may not live within walking distance of the station, rather than having to pay for the car park in Eagles Road.

Those particularly affected are the residents of neighbouring Bean village which has a notoriously unreliable bus service.

If they can't park they could face a 40-minute walk along the busy St Clements Way to the station.

Penny Cole, Kent County Councillor for Dartford East (Con) understands it is difficult for drivers who have had the luxury of the car park for so many years but admits it was never going to be there forever.

She said: "The car park is closing as the developer will be undertaking land surveys as part of the planning process. This is usual in planning for it to happen at the same time as the consultation period.

'It is a bit of a chicken and egg situation...'

"There are very few places in the country that offer free parking near railway stations. I think KCC didn’t install parking charges as they were only going to keep hold of the land until the St Clements Way improvements were completed."

And for those hoping it might open again once the surveys have taken place Cllr Cole had bad news.

"It will be closed permanently because of the planning application. The only reason it has been left open is that the land was used for the road improvements. KCC would probably have sold it off years ago otherwise. They were lucky while it lasted."

Residents are particularly annoyed at why they see as the pre-emptive closure of the site, as plans for the new "super surgery" are still being debated.

Cllr Cole said: "It is a bit of a chicken and egg situation. They need to close the site to complete the surveys and evaluate the value of the land."

And even if the medical centre does not go ahead Cllr Cole is still positive residents and commuters will not get their car park back.

"KCC will sell the land in some way or another," she said.

Official plans for the new "super surgery" which would serve 20,000 people in north Kent were submitted in February.

It is set to replace three " very old" GP practices in Dartford and bring them under one roof and would see a part two, part three-storey building erected to meet the growing demands of needs for nearby residents.

In November 2021 private talks over the NHS-led proposal were held by Kent County Council, where it was agreed to sell the vacant greenfield land on the car park site, which has been owned by the authority since 1973, to deliver the facility.