by Simon Tulett

PARKING rules which limit some homes to just one car are going to "cripple" families, say furious residents.

Homeowners and tenants at The Bridge, in Dartford, say the new restrictions, which include fines of up to £80 for parking without permits, are driving many out of the Taylor Wimpey development entirely.

Ian Catt, of Birdwood Avenue, was so incensed by the regulations, which ban commercial vehicles and even prevent residents from washing their cars on site, that he has started a petition to see them removed.

In just two days he gathered 125 signatures, and says more than a dozen homes have gone up for sale since the restrictions, from Consort Property Management, came into force.

The 26-year-old lives in a two-bedroom Hyde Housing property with pregnant partner Lisa Blackmore, 24, and their three-year-old daughter, Scarlett. He has just one permit and fears the rules will mean financial ruin for his growing family.

He said: "Me and my partner both have cars because we need them for work, but they want to take one of them away so one of us is going to have to give up work. I struggle to see how we are going to survive. It's going to cripple us."

Visitor parking is also a problem, Mr Catt said, with just 19 bays for more than 200 homes.

A spokesman for Consort Property Management said the new rules are being enforced following concerns about "abuse of parking" on the estate, and referred homeowners and tenants to their contracts, which set out the rules.

For the full story see this week's Dartford Messenger