A last-minute plan to freeze car parking charges in a Kent borough for a year was defeated as the council looks to rebound after Covid-19.

Swale council’s budget was decided last week and includes using £1.65 million from the reserves to balance the budget in a 'difficult year'.

Council tax will also rise by £5.12 for a Band D property, taking the total annual cost from £184.15 to £189.27.

However, a last minute amendment tabled by Cllr Oliver Eakin (Con) proposed freezing car park charges in Swale by a year.

All council-owned car parks are due to see a 20% price increase- up to four hours - unless contractually agreed otherwise.

Last year the council did freeze the fees to draw back crowds after the pandemic.

He said: “With running costs as high as ever and the threat of online shopping booming, traders now have to face a 20% increase in parking charges.

“It’s hardly a justifiable increase for Swale, the traders have been through a very rough two years to say the least.

“Freezing parking of course does come at a cost to the council but I think we need to imagine how would residents feel more comfortable, with reserves helping the local traders with a freeze on parking?”

Council officers warned that taking such action again would cost the authority £275,000 from the reserves and unbalance the budget.

This split councillors who were keen to see traders prosper but realised the financial implications, with some saying they were arguing over “just 10p” while others claiming it would be ineffective.

Cllr Tim Valentine (Green) said this debate occurred every year and: “The evidence shows that it does not increase footfall in the town or the take of the town traders.

“What it does is fill car parks with commuters and shop workers. It moves people who would have walked or cycled into town to drive into town.

“So this amendment would cost us £275,000 and would provide no benefit to the town.”

Other councillors argued the change was common sense.

Cllr Lloyd Bowen (Con) said: “We aren’t talking about free parking or Christmas parking, this would just freeze parking prices to what they are at the moment. That’s it.

“We are hopefully coming out of a pandemic and we need to revitalise and regenerate our town centre, and to do that we need people to come to our town centres.

“Is it reasonable to expect them to come on a bike? Because I’m not doing that, most people drive because that’s how they do their weekly shop.”

The plan failed with 23 councillors voting against and 18 for.