Hospital visitors who duck parking fees by leaving their cars on-street may be charged there too.

Transport councillors may vote to bring in payment machines on three streets neighbouring Buckland Hospital in Dover for non-residents.

An officers' report explained: "Historically the residents have stated that the current permit scheme wasn’t working due to the amount of visitors to the hospital taking the spaces away from permit holders.

"The hospital car park is currently pay and display and visitors choose to park in the on-street residents scheme area, rather than pay for parking in the car park.

"This has created significant issues between residents and visitors."

The streets affected are Coombe Valley Road, Lambton Road and MacDonald Road.

The officers propose to bring in cashless charging RingGo machines for visitors while residents carry on using their parking permits as before.

Visitors' cars would have a two-hour maximum stay between 9am and 6pm Mondays to Saturdays.

These changes would have little effect on blue badge holders as they can continue to park for free with no time limit in on-street bays.

The scheme is to be voted on by the Dover joint transportation advisory board, which meets next week.

Residents were surveyed on the proposal and seven out of 12 respondents support it.

One resident for it commented in the study: "It costs permit holder over £120 a year and (there is) no guarantee parking space."

"We have the most issues during the evenings..."

Another supporting it said: "I have also suggested a 7am to 7pm each day to help people park when returning from work.

"We typically have the most issues during the evenings."

One resident at Lambton Road was against it, insisting there were no parking problems there and added: "This feels like we are being forced to buy a permit."

Kent Online investigated the problem last year.

It was told that the designated hospital car park was often so empty youngsters were using it as a football pitch.

St Radigund's district ward councillor John Haste had also said that street spaces were full up with residents taking them for free.

The area has had a residents' parking scheme since 2004.

The Dover joint transportation advisory board is made up of district and county councillors.

It meets tonight at 6pm.