BUSINESSES on an industrial centre in Maidstone are being asked to pay £500 a year for every parking space they use.

Managers and owners of firms in the Powerhub, formerly the Maidstone Industrial Centre, claim up to half a dozen businesses could go bust and many more could relocate because of new parking charges from August 26.

The owners of the business centre in St Peter Street say the charges are part of a £1 million improvement scheme at the site and will ease parking problems and improve conditions for tenants. But many of the 38 leaseholders are furious and say the decision to ban public access will ruin trade for many of them.

Adrian Gander, managing director of Millabar, a prototype engineering company which has been on the site for 23 years, said: "I employ 22 people here. To suddenly provide all my staff with a parking place will practically increase my rent by 25 per cent. It is absolutely ridiculous and extremely underhand."

The charge only applies to tenants who have not negotiated parking as part of their lease.

From next week anyone parking in an unauthorised space will be clamped. Mike Reeves, owner of boat moorings company TS Marine, said: "There was free parking when we came down here. A lot of business are now looking at a £2,000 to £3,000 a year increase in rents because of this."

"We have all said we don't want to pay it. I think it is a very poor show."

Colin Payne is a partner in the Fighting Fit Black Belt Kick Boxing Academy, which has 200 members who regularly park at the site to use the gym.

He said: "We don't know what we are going to do. Even if we had the money to buy 30 spaces it is still not enough."

A spokesman for letting agents Cyril Leonard said the charges were fair. He said: "We are working to improve all of the facilities for the tenants. There are a lot of problems with the car parking there."