An “unfair” decision to change parking fares for a shopping centre’s workers has been called one of “pure greed”.

Until December 12, staff at the Mid Kent Shopping centre were allowed to use the car park free of charge.

Now, anyone working in the stores at Allington, near Maidstone, is being asked to pay £50 a month for a permit.

Chirag Patel has run Eye2Eye Opticians for around 11 years and has seen multiple changes to parking rules, for both staff and customers.

The 37-year-old said: “My staff have to park outside the centre or pay £50 a month which will just push all those working onto the roads.

“In my opinion, it’s too strict – £50 doesn’t sound like a lot but if we were to pay for one of our staff we’d have to pay for all our staff and it adds up.

“I just don’t understand why it can’t be taken a step back. The residents will be annoyed as well. Nearby are quiet roads with bungalows and it’s a nice area. As soon as you add more cars these people aren’t going to be happy.”

Lesley Hayden has worked in Barnardo’s charity shop for five years while also living a three-minute walk away from the shopping centre.

Being both an employee and resident, the 39-year-old has had problems at both ends of the issue.

She said: “I have 21 volunteers who give up their time to help out the charity and I don’t think it’s fair they have to pay to give up their time.

“Some of them have mobility issues as well so they have no choice but to park at the centre.”

Both Chirag and Lesley explained how every business has been offered one registered parking spot where someone can park free of charge.

The change was a sudden one, with some businesses only told around a month before the fee came into force.

The issue has caught the attention of councillors in the area who are all aligned in their feelings towards it.

Conservative Cllr Stanley Forecast has attempted to make contact with the landlords. He said: "These car parking changes are an appalling attack on motorists, customers, and the hard-working residents and businesses of Allington.

“I am deeply concerned that all tenants are being offered any additional permits at £50 per individual. This is completely wrong in the current economic climate, especially considering most workers here will be part-time.

“Barnardo's charity is made up of volunteers, and their selflessness has been completely disregarded by the landlord.

“I have raised this with the MP, and we strongly urge the landlord to scrap these plans or at the very least allow permits to be shareable between members of staff immediately.”

Lib Dem Cllr Cynthia Robertson, who has also tried to reach the landlords, added: “When I heard about the proposal I emailed the landlords and expressed my concerns.

“A lot of the Waitrose staff aren’t paid very high wages and a lot are on part-time contracts so it is a lot out of their paycheck.

“Those who can’t afford it will park on neighbouring roads and until now the relationship between each group has been harmonious but now residents are getting annoyed.”

Green candidate Rachel Rodwell has heard of some of the problems being caused by workers parking on roads.

“The whole situation is unfair. A £600 uprise during a cost-of-living crisis would affect anyone,” she said.

“I have written to the management company demanding they reverse their decision which is one of pure greed.

“The shop workers cannot afford to pay such exorbitant prices and there is very little public transport that can get them to work here. I have never seen that car park full so it can’t be to make room for customers.

“It’s causing conflict between residents and staff, with one worker telling me they had a note left on their car complaining about their parking and it used very offensive language. I’ve seen pictures of her parking and it seemed quite courteous to me.

“Four years ago the country was feeling grateful for our key workers, now we have a company trying to screw money out of them.”

Property management company LCP, which owns the shopping centre, was asked for a comment.