Problems with parking on new estates is a mistake Swale council should learn from so future developments do not suffer in the same way.

That’s the view of Cllr James Hunt (Con) who is to ask the authority what can be done to avoid a repeat of issues faced by households in newer housing on the Meads and in Iwade.

Cllr Hunt, who represents the Meads on Swale and is Iwade Parish Council chairman, said: “On all the new developments, people do not have enough space to park.

"They have to park on the roads and on the pavement, which is the biggest problem on new estates.

“People in wheelchairs or with pushchairs are forced to walk in the road, children walking to school have to walk in the road and it makes it dangerous; there have been near misses.

“I think something should have been done about this sooner. It’s something I have dealt with for a number of years with the parish council.”

Cllr Hunt warned that parking in some roads had made it difficult for emergency vehicles to get through.

Kev Ford, a watch manager at Sittingbourne fire station, said parking issues had never stopped an engine getting through, but could cause delays.

Cllr Hunt hopes Swale will adapt its policy towards new housing.

The council intends to put together a new parking policy but its planning department is working on a Local Plan, a building blueprint for two decades.