Paid-for permits will be introduced at a disused town car park which was previously free.

The Highfield Road (South) facility in Dartford town centre was brought into the pay and display regime by the council in February.

At the time, a review was requested to be carried out after six months.

Last month a parking services supervisor presented a report to a cabinet advisory panel meeting at the Dartford Civic Centre.

Usage figures indicated the car park had previously been used by residential properties and employees working in the town centre.

It had also attracted a lot of unauthorised long stays with people dumping abandoned vehicles there.

But since becoming a paid-for site, the review found it had attracted very little use.

In total there have been 396 records of parking, amounting to less than three a day.

This generated approximately £550 in fees.

In the same period, the number of fixed-penalty notices issued for non-payment or staying beyond the time allowed was eight, seven of which have been paid.

Some members questioned the level of displacement from the car park to the adjoining residential streets which have double yellow lines in place.

They felt the charges should either be removed or that some form of dispensation or permit should be given to residents.

The chairman, Cllr Matthew Davis (Con), reminded members if free car parking were re-introduced it would need to be fair across the entire borough.

He pointed out there was no indication in the report the scheme had put pressure on neighbouring roads.

The chairman also re-iterated the costs involved with removing abandoned vehicles might also increase should it be made free once more.

Labour group councillors repeated calls for the charges to be dropped at a full cabinet meeting held earlier this month.

But the request was again turned down.

Cllr Ricky Jones (Lab), who organised a campaign earlier this year to revoke the charge, spoke on behalf of residents in Princes ward.

He explained since the scheme's implementation it had been "a nightmare for the residents" as the cars which used the facility have now been displaced into the surrounding streets.

Neighbours were also upset he claimed as they had not received any communication of the change.

He said: “The Conservative cabinet have made the wrong decision here and I will be writing to the cabinet on behalf of the residents and the Labour group urging them to reconsider and remove the charges."

Council leader Cllr Jeremy Kite (Con) explained the decision was not about '"ripping anyone off" but was about treating everyone fairly.

He said the council had sought a compromise agreement whereby residents could purchase parking permits at the cost of just £1.

This would allow those neighbours who want to use the spaces to do so while also preventing misuse, he claimed.

"I'm afraid the council cannot allow the car park to be made free.

"It's not about the money, it's about ensuring the proper use of the space.

"What we are going to do is a compromise. You can use it but you have to pay for it."

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