Parking charges are due to increase across Medway, with some stays being charged more than double the current rate.

Medway's Conservative-led council will discuss the plans at Thursday night's budget meeting, where Labour councillors will argue against the proposed hike.

Under the plans, 2-4 hours parking at short stay car parks across Medway will increase to £2.50 - up from £1.40 in Chatham and Rochester, £1.10 in Rainham, and £1.30 in Gillingham - while a 6-8 hour stop at long stay car parks will more than double in most areas to £5.20.

Shorter stays will be hit by smaller rises, with 1-2 hours parking rising to £1.50.

Medway Labour say Medway's High Streets are already struggling and the extra expense of parking will drive shoppers to Hempstead Valley, Bluewater and out of town stores; putting High Street shops at risk.

They say the proposals also represent a hit for shop workers and commuters who use the long stay car parks, as well as NHS workers at Healthy Living Centres.

Councillor Vince maple, Medway Labour Group Leader, said: "This is a proposal that the Tories have tried to slip into the budget hoping that nobody else would notice. If you read the proposed budget page by page you see the percentage increase of all costs – except for car parking fees. That is because the Tories are embarrassed by these proposals and know that they are wrong. ‘Fake news’ is a current buzz-phrase – this is not fake news but it is hidden news.

"The proposals will price people out of using our high streets at the expense of local retailers and it will land workers and commuters with enormous bills. A potential annual increase of £600 is a lot of money, particularly for those who are struggling to get by."

"Council car parks near train stations will see a daily fee of over £5 – for workers earning the minimum wage they are paying an hours salary just to park.

"While Cabinet members plot these changes at their Gun Wharf bunker, they of course do not pay any parking charges. They need to get into the real world and see the damage their policies will cause to real people."

Medway Council leader Alan Jarrett said the proposals were not hidden in the budget papers, but the fact that standardised charges were being brought in across Medway meant the figures took up less space on the agenda.

"It's a huge irony," he said. "On two separate occasions we voted to freeze parking charges and on both occasions Labour voted against freezing them. Now we put them up they don't like it. That's the beauty of being in opposition."

He said the long stay car parks were still cheaper than Network Rail's, and parking was cheaper in Medway than most other regions.

"The point they're missing is all services have to be paid for and we've had a seven year freeze on parking charges," added Cllr Jarrett.

More in Friday's Medway Messenger.