Permit parking could be introduced to a town in a bid to free up spaces on traffic-clogged streets.

There are few restrictions on roads around Dartford town centre where parking is effectively provided free of charge.

According to Dartford council it has now become an issue with people using residential streets to park all day to avoid charges, meaning residents struggle to find a space outside their homes.

The town is home to various small and large businesses, and the railway station is the busiest in Kent.

But the council says long stay parking at most of its car parks – which charge £5 for more than four hours – is often underused.

This has led to "increasing parking pressures" on surrounding streets and residents have asked the council to "look at solutions".

An online survey has been launched and residents are being asked if they would like a parking scheme to cover certain streets and areas around the town. Click here to view the full details.

A notice informing residents said: "We want to find out more details of the parking issues and what causes them, so that we can look at solutions.

"We are therefore undertaking a parking study of the town centre and its surrounds, covering an area approximately a 10-minute walk time from the station and High Street."

One of the solutions under consideration is the introduction of parking permits as part of a controlled parking zone (CPZ).

A CPZ is a network of streets that are covered by restrictions, with each road marked out by bays that allow permit parking, and by single yellow lines that have a period of restriction.

Such zones can be enforced for any amount of time – from a minimum of two hours to all day – and are intended to deter "non-residential" parking, such as use by commuters.

Other options being reviewed include double and single yellow lines restrictions, and short-stay bays specifically for visitors to businesses in the area.

But the move to consider parking permits has led some to fear it could negatively impact town businesses.

Jodie Sullivan, 31, who lives on the Tree Estate, fears if parking permits were introduced it could impact a lot of workers and carers.

"It will have more of an impact on those who work in Dartford than those coming into Dartford [to commute]," she said.

"Those that work in Shoezone, Greggs, etc. They might not be able to afford to park there all day."

She added: "It will also affect the elderly who have nurses and carers who come out to them as they won't be able to to park outside the resident's house."

Jodie, who helps manage the Hill Hub co-working space in the town, believes most traffic and parking issues stem from its "dense concentration" of schools .

She says there are often problems parking due to the high volume of parents travelling from afar to pick up and drop off kids.

"If you think about it there is Dartford Grammar for boys, the girls' grammar and another girls' school in such a small concentrated area," she explained.

"If I were to drive from my house to work I can get to work in two minutes flat during half-term but normally it's 20 minutes. In my opinion that is where the traffic is."

"We have a good record of delivering solutions that are popular with householders and we don’t want to do anything without them."

A Dartford council spokesman said: “The first step in our town centre parking study is to hear from local residents and listen to what they want.

"We work rather differently from some local authorities and don’t want to implement any solution on a street until it’s clear that the local community want it.

"We have been running ward-by-ward consultations in the relevant areas since July and building a picture of what the problems are and how residents want them resolved.

"We have a good record of delivering solutions that are popular with householders and we don’t want to do anything without them.

“We’d encourage anyone who receives a letter from us to respond so that everyone has their say on this important local issue.”

The parking study is due to end in mid-December, after which time the council say it will review all the feedback and consult on detailed designs.