Drastic parking changes have forced some residents to fork out thousands of pounds converting their front gardens into driveways.

People in West Hythe are furious over the introduction of charges at a canalside car park and double yellow lines along part of the main road.

One resident says his mother no longer comes to visit his family as she is now unable to leave her car close enough to his house.

Meanwhile, many anglers have stopped fishing along the canal due to the “ridiculous” charges at the previously free car park.

And one woman says she feels unsafe walking through the car park because it is now so deserted early in the morning.

Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) says charges were brought in due to increasing maintenance costs - while the yellow lines were painted in response to concerns over traffic safety.

But the measures have had unintended consequences - with some residents of the picturesque hamlet paying huge sums to turn their front gardens into driveways.

One of those is Adam Brint, who lives along the stretch of West Hythe Road where the yellow lines were painted. He says the work is going to cost about £3,000.

“I totally object to the double yellow lines,” he said.

“We objected to the council but we have never had a letter of consultation back and now we are being forced to dig up our front garden to make extra space to park our cars.

“One of us used to park on the road which now has double yellow lines on.

“It is going to cost about £3,000. We are both retired and it is affordable for us but the money could be spent on better things.

“We also asked at the time of the consultation if we could apply for a permit but got no reply. It was absolutely shocking.”

Arthur Maughan, who also lives in West Hythe Road, said: “My mother does not come to visit us anymore because she cannot park near the house and cannot walk very far.

“I cannot bring my work van home because I have nowhere to park it so I now have to pay for it to be stored somewhere every night.

“We had already done our driveway before the yellow lines but we now need more space because the children will start driving soon.

“It is a lot of costs.”

He says the road is now dangerous because people drive faster as they know there will be no parked cars along the road.

“The traffic calming we did have was parked cars which are now not there so traffic is fast,” he said.

“The yellow lines will have devalued our properties. We have a three-bedroom house which we are currently extending into a four-bedroom house that has no parking for four occupants.”

It now costs motorists up to £9.60 to park in West Hythe car park and resident Chris Giles says he was shocked to see the prices had been hiked by 14% in less than 12 months.

“It is really unreasonable,” he said.

“I was concerned seeing the prices for the six-hour maximum stay had gone up from £8.40 to £9.60.

“It really hits the anglers because it is only the anglers who would be here for six hours at a time.

“It is just a cash cow for the council.”

Paul Musson, the Cinque Ports Angling Society club bailiff, says members have told him they would now rather go to other, cheaper fishing spots.

“They have to pay £7 to come fishing and then £9.60 to park,” he said.

“No one wants to do that. They would rather go elsewhere where they can save themselves some money – especially with the price of fuel nowadays.”

He added, he very rarely he sees club members fishing at the site anymore.

“It needs to go back to being a free car park,” he said.

“It just does not make any sense at all. It is an absolute discouragement to people.

“It is bad enough that you have to pay but the amount is just ridiculous.

“I am shocked and amazed that people come here and pay to park.”

The area around the car park is a popular walking spot. During the Covid lockdowns, many people strolled along to where the canal path runs next to Port Lympne, so they could look through the fence at the wildlife within the animal park’s safari route.

But Sue Gibson, who has lived in West Hythe for 20 years, says she has been put off walking in the area because she now feels unsafe.

“I come and walk around the canal early in the morning on my own,” she said.

“Now there are no cars parked in the car park and no local dog walkers which makes me feel very vulnerable.

“When I have been walking around here there is absolutely no one here so as a woman on my own it makes me feel very unsafe.

“I am an older woman living in the area but there are young girls who live here and I wonder if it is something that anyone has even thought about.

“I think it is very unfair because I have lived here for 20 years and it is something that I have never felt before.

“Having spoken to other people they have started saying the same thing. Some people’s husbands are walking the dogs in the morning because the women do not want to come out in the morning because there is nobody here.”

A spokesperson for FHDC said parking charges were introduced in June 2022 because it was no longer possible to offer free stays due to increasing maintenance costs.

“The year-on-year increase from £1.40 per hour to £1.60 per hour is in line with inflation, an approach many local authorities have taken across the country,” they said.

“Parking is not a money-maker for the council – off-street parking surplus helps fund community projects.”

They added: “The decision to introduce yellow lines was made after residents living on the road raised concerns about traffic safety and driveways being blocked.

“Those without driveways have been offered discounted permits to park in the car park.”