If you don’t want to start paying for parking where previously you could stop for free, then now is your chance to say so.

Tonbridge and Malling council is running a public consultation on its plans to make a raft of changes to parking charges across the borough.

One of the key elements is a plan to introduce charges to three car parks and two on-street areas which are currently free.

The council said the move would bring them in line with parking across the rest of the borough.

The proposal is to charge 60p for half an hour, rising to £3.80 for four hours for on-street parking in Swan Street and the High Street in West Malling, and also at the Martin Square car park in Larkfield, and at both Bailey Bridge car parks in Aylesford

The council say the fees would help pay for new spaces to be added to the Bailey Bridge East car park at Aylesford and for CCTV to be installed at Martin Square.

Elsewhere in the borough it is proposed to charge for car parking up to 8pm, instead of ending at 6pm as currently and to start charging for Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Other changes include switching on-street parking in Avebury Avenue, Tonbridge, to permit holders only, and extending the loading bay restrictions outside Tesco in West Malling until 8pm daily.

There will also be an across-the-board increase to parking permit fees and hourly charges, which were last raised two years ago.

The council says it costs £615,000 a year to run its car parks.

Cllr Martin Coffin, cabinet member for transformation, said: “We hope as many people as possible get involved in the consultation.

“While no-one likes seeing price increases, we have to cover the costs of providing this service and welcome both feedback on our proposals and constructive comments if there are better ideas for how to do this.”

To see the proposals for off-street parking and give your views, visit here.

To see the proposals for on-street parking and give your views, visit here.

The consultation runs until January 7.