Three parking bays in a seaside town have gone up for sale for £150,000 - as fed-up residents admit finding a space is now nigh-on “impossible”.

People living in the heart of Whitstable sometimes have to leave their cars a mile away after fruitless 20-minute searches for a spot closer to home.

Staggeringly, spaces have become so sought-after that one small patch of land with three bays in Island Wall, close to the seafront, is valued at £10,000 more than a four-bed house in Dover.

KentOnline spoke to residents in Whitstable this week about the “gigantic issue” of parking in the tourist hotspot.

They said some locals have even taken to watching out of their windows so they can quickly nab a space when one becomes free.

Other residents are without off- or on-street parking so must pay more than £850 a year for a permit to use council car parks.

The listing for the £150,000 plot says: “Situated in a prime town centre location just off Whitstable's bustling high street, it presents a rare opportunity to acquire a freehold parcel of land currently used for off-road parking for up to three vehicles. It is accessed via Island Wall within close proximity of the seafront and the working harbour.”

It is being marketed by Kent Estate Agents and Christopher Hodgson.

Given the struggles facing the town, resident Dan Griliopoulos isn’t surprised by the hefty price tag - and thinks someone will snap it up.

The 44-year-old said: “£50,000 for a space in a place where parking is impossible at busy times kind of makes sense.

“If you have disposable income, it will reduce your stress.

“I do not have a parking space at my house so I have to hunt for a space which will take 20 minutes on a busy summer day like this.

“You see people watching out of their windows and spying to see when cars leave in Albert Street and Victoria Street then rushing out and calling their friends to say: ‘I have got a space.’

“It is madness and I have parked near Whitstable railway station before which takes about 15 minutes to walk back to my home.”

He adds people are always dumping their cars on the pavement and double-yellow lines, risking a fine.

As well as being popular with day-trippers, Whitstable is also the Airbnb capital of Kent, with more than 500 listed in the town.

KentOnline also previously revealed how a property on the seafront was on the market for £1 million - despite having just one bed.

“The Whitstable market is overheated and I know one person who owns 12 Airbnbs along this stretch [Cushing’s Walk],” Mr Griliopoulos added.

“There are people with more money than sense so it would seem like a deal.”

Another resident, Melanie Stevenson, says she is not shocked by the £150,000 asking price as she believes “everything seems to be extortionate” in the town.

“I am from north London which I thought was expensive but Whitstable is more so,” the 62-year-old said.

“Parking is at a premium and I have applied for permits for visitors but was refused. I have one parking space so it is a nightmare.”

Residents can use any pay-and-display car parks - excluding Whitstable swimming pool, Oyster, Beach Walk and The Harbour sites - if they have a permit, which costs £856 a year.

But they are not guaranteed a space and sites can often be busy in the warmer months due to people flocking to the town.

Keam’s Yard car park is opposite the plot in Island Wall and costs £3.70 an hour between 7.30am and 9pm or £2 an hour overnight. The rates increased this year - previously being £3.10 an hour between April and September and £1.60 the rest of the year - with Canterbury City Council bosses saying financial pressures meant they had no choice but to hike prices.

One resident living in the area, who asked not to be named, struggled to see why anyone would purchase the land and then charge for parking as it could take years for them to make a profit.

“We would love to have the plot but not for that amount of money,” they said.

“Parking is a premium in Whitstable but this is taking the p***.

“It would seem more appropriate for it to be residents’ parking.

“Parking is terrible but the price is ridiculous.”

Another resident, who also wanted to remain anonymous, says her neighbours were shocked by the £150,000 price tag.

“People have said: ‘Wow, how did they come up with that figure?’,” they said.

“Parking is a nightmare as people park on the pavement, double-park and abandon their cars.

“It is a gigantic issue in Whitstable.”

KentOnline found a number of houses in the county listed on Zoopla with a lower asking price than the plot in Island Wall.

This included a four-bedroom terraced house in London Road, Dover, which is being marketed for £140,000.

There is also a tiny cottage for sale in Pennington Road, Southborough, near Tunbridge Wells, for £135,000.

And a one-bed floating home on the River Medway in Rochester is being marketed for £110,000.

However, we could not find any homes in Whitstable being advertised for a similar price.

Kent Estate Agents and Christopher Hodgson were both asked for comment on Tuesday but did not respond before publication.