Medway Council has agreed to sell off two car parks for redevelopment.

It was decided at this week’s cabinet meeting to put the Union Place car park in Chatham and the Temple Street Car Park in Strood up for sale.

Reasons cited were the decline in revenue from the two car parks and the possible benefits that would come from redevelopment.

Union Place Car Park, which has 49 spaces, cannot be used at the moment as it can only be accessed via private land and the owner has withdrawn permission.

Councillors said left as it was, it would not bring in any revenue for the council but there were concerns it could also become a draw for anti-social behaviour.

Cllr Naushabah Khan (Lab), portfolio holder for housing and property, said: “It’s an unused site that is sat there. That, therefore, opens it up to certain challenges around potential problems with ASB [anti-social behaviour], but it also means it’s sitting there as a surplus.

“There is that huge budgetary pressure we are facing as an authority and that means we’ve got to look at things very, very carefully and we’ve got to look for new opportunities and we’ve got to find a way to make sure that we’re balancing those books for the people of Medway.”

Temple Street Car Park in Strood has 73 spaces, and sits off Commercial Road opposite McDonald's.

The report presented to the cabinet said the average net earnings for the site since 2021 was £21,543 per year.

It also said that there would not be a significant loss of parking in the area as there was still the council-run Commercial Road Car Park.

Cllr Khan said although Temple Street Car Park could continue to operate and raise revenue for the council, development could provide greater benefits for the area.

She said: “There is a view around this particular site, around where it’s strategically placed and what that could mean for the future of Strood and what comes forward on that site and how that interconnects with the wider town centre.

“The Temple Street Car Park can remain operational and it can produce an income to the council, but I’ve already set out there is a strategic option here which would be potentially more beneficial to that location and the wider regeneration of Strood.

“This is about what is strategically right for Medway, how do we make Medway the sort of place that you want to live, raise your family, and work in, and that’s about having a strategic vision and what we’ve got here are sites that can be part of that solution.

“Yes, they are two car parks, which will probably seem relatively small to people, but actually when you look at it in the wider context - about where we’re bringing forward regeneration, where we want to drive inward investment - they’re really strategically important. This is a step in starting to realise that future of Medway.

“There’s lots of opportunity here, but we’re not going to be able to do that unless we start this process tonight.”

Council leader Cllr Vince Maple (Lab) also voiced support for the sale, saying: “Financial decisions like this have to be made.

“This will be the first item of many coming forward to ensure we do what’s right for the taxpayers of Medway, that our high streets and town centres are as vibrant as possible, and that we make sure that we are very clear to those who want to come and invest in Medway that they should have a proper dialogue with us.”

The move at the cabinet meeting on December 19 received unanimous support from members of the cabinet, which means officers will be directed to sell off the car parks at a reasonable price and secure development for the sites.