Birchington Parking Charges Face Calls for One Hour Free Parking

Birchington Traders Seek Cheaper Parking to Boost High Street

Birchington Businesses Call for One Hour Free Parking as Traders Seek Boost Birchington businesses could see changes to local parking charges after village councillor Phil Fellows called for one hour of free on-street parking to help support local traders. Speaking at a full Thanet District Council meeting, Cllr Fellows said local businesses were facing rising costs, falling footfall and a difficult trading environment. He argued that parking charges could make it harder for people to visit Birchington’s shops, particularly when nearby Westgate already offers one hour of free parking. Call for cheaper parking in Birchington Cllr Fellows asked the council to urgently investigate introducing at least one hour of free on-street parking in Birchington. He also called for reduced charges in council car parks, or other meaningful parking concessions designed to encourage more people to use the village’s shops. He said Birchington had “always felt” it was an anomaly that drivers had to pay to park there while free parking was available in nearby Westgate. Cllr Kristian Bright, the council’s cabinet member for parking, said he agreed that trading conditions were difficult and that the council wanted Birchington and other high streets to thrive. Council says parking charges are under review Cllr Bright said the council had already committed to reviewing fees and charges as part of its parking strategy, adopted in December 2024. He said the review would consider areas including zoning, signage, fees and charges, with the wider strategy intended to manage traffic flow while also encouraging people to use high streets. However, Cllr Bright indicated that one hour of free parking in Birchington was unlikely to be introduced. He said decisions on fees and charges would need to be made through the council’s annual budget process, with the next changes implemented in April. How much does parking currently cost? Parking on Birchington’s Station Road currently starts at 50p for 10 minutes, with charges increasing in 10-minute periods. The maximum charge is £6 for a two-hour stay, which works out at £3 per hour. Westgate, meanwhile, offers one hour of free parking on Station Road and St Mildreds Road near its main shopping area. There is also free Saturday parking at selected council car parks in Ramsgate, Margate, Broadstairs and Cliftonville, but the source says there is no designated free Saturday parking for Birchington or Westgate. Cllr Fellows said he had been campaigning for some form of parking concession in Birchington for years and hoped a reduction could eventually be introduced. For drivers, the debate highlights how parking charges can become part of wider discussions about access to local high streets, particularly when neighbouring areas have different parking arrangements. The council's review of fees and charges could therefore be important for Birchington traders and drivers, although no one-hour free parking scheme has been confirmed at this stage.