A Labour group proposal for a three-month trial of free Saturday parking in Swale’s three town centres has been kicked out for the second time in a year.

The scheme for Sheerness, Sittingbourne and Faversham was put forward at a full Swale council meeting on Wednesday, July 24.

Cllr Ghlin Whelan (Lab), who raised the motion, claimed car parking fees and penalties make a profit to the council of more than £800,000 while the cost of this trial was estimated at £50,000.

He said: “Surely as a spur to regeneration, which is seriously stalled at the moment, this gesture to the benefit of residents, shoppers and high street businesses alike deserves the support of everyone in this chamber.”

But Cllr David Simmons (Con) said town centre footfall would not increase because employees would fill the parking spaces.

Fellow Tory Cllr Duncan Dewar-Whalley called on traders to do more to attract footfall and suggested they could refund customers the price of their tickets after certain times, as he did when he ran a shop in Maidstone.

The motion was refused by 26 votes to 12.

The same idea was raised at full council in February but was dropped because the level of fees cannot be changed for six months where they have been agreed by the council.