A couple in Deal are calling for disc parking zones to be implemented as an answer to a crisis in the town.

Stan and Anne Brittain, of Matthews Close, have strong concerns over nuisance parking in central and middle Deal which has cost them £2,000 in damage to their car.

Mr Brittain, who used to own a business in the High Street, said: “Parking has always been a contentious issue. The introduction of permits in the High Street and conservation area has only served to shift the problem to other areas.

“It now appears, with the introduction of Bridgeside Resident Parking, it has further exacerbated this issue, and Matthews Close is now regularly clogged as a consequence of ongoing parking restriction decisions.”

At times residents cannot access their own drives without making several manoeuvres to avoid parked cars. They stay for days on end, invariably bordering on what we would classify as nuisance parking,” added Mr Brittain.

He said he has written to the district council, suggesting disc parking as a resolution. “It has the advantage of restricted time free parking in nominated areas while encouraging more shoppers and tourists to visit the town. It would prevent most nuisance long-term abuse parking generally by making those more responsible to resolve their own parking arrangements.”

The Brittains have received support from other householders in the Close including Sue and Keith Waskett and Jean and Nigel Smith.

All three parties have written to Dover District Council car parking team. No response has been received. Mrs Waskett said: “I understand people have to park their cars but what is frustrating is that people are coming to the estate and parking their cars, that don’t live here. They don’t know the lay-out of the street, they park on the bends and pavements. The council are just shifting the problem, not solving it.

“I don’t know what they could do, but double yellow lines on the bend would be a start. But, that would still have to be monitored because we have double yellow lines at the end of the estate but people still park on them."

A DDC spokesman said: “We are aware of residents’ concerns and are currently looking into this matter.

“As part of that process, we have specifically targeted patrols to the area to assess the situation and to undertake enforcement action as necessary.

“Residents’ parking schemes are administered by DDC and decided by the Joint Transportation Board, who take all representations into account.

“DDC’s civil enforcement officers enforce the parking regulations that apply in a street. However, vehicles parking on the footway causing obstruction are a clear matter for the police who have the powers to deal with such offences and not DDC, as we have no powers to address obstruction. If residents want additional parking restrictions, apart from a residents’ parking zone, they would need to apply to KCC Highways.”