With a picturesque seafront and an impressive pier drawing in lively summer crowds, Herne Bay - on its day - is one of Kent’s most inviting destinations.

But just a short stroll inland, traders in the town’s main shopping areas say they’re facing an increasingly tough reality.

Businesses along Mortimer Street and the High Street have been feeling the pinch in recent months, with a growing sense of frustration as more shops pull down their shutters for good.

A rise in parking charges, combined with a proliferation of charity shops, vape stores and barbers, has only deepened their disillusionment.

Sue Pavey runs pet shop The Doghouse by the Sea in Mortimer Street – the town’s main pedestrianed shopping thoroughfare, which is seen as its ‘real’ high street.

She says more needs to be done to “encourage people to come here”.

“As soon as someone shuts up shop, they just have a charity or a vape shop put in - that's no good,” said Mrs Pavey.

“There's nothing new coming in - it needs a real kick just to get people back.

“I think the market’s a really good draw on a Saturday if you have a lot of stalls there, but week after week, it's getting worse.

“But Herne Bay does have a lot of promise, I feel, and I'd hope, potential.”

Currently, there are 38 empty shops and businesses in the centre of town, with two more - including ShoeZone - set to close.

Among those still trading, 30 are barbers, hairdressers or beauty salons, alongside nine charity shops and four specialist vape businesses.

Simon Carman, who has owned a hairdressing business in the High Street for 19 years, says the influx of barbers is “frustrating”.

“I’d like more of a crackdown on things, but I don’t think anything will get done in Herne Bay,” he said.

“People tell me back in the day the council would only allow so many certain shops to open, rather than a free-for-all.

“All my customers just say it’s charity shops, coffee shops and barber shops, and that’s the town in a nutshell.”

Jacqui Delbaere, owner of The Little Green Bookshop, added: “Empty properties in a town don't make it look vibrant.

“Every time something opens it's a vape shop, a barber shop or a nail bar - can we have a bit more imagination?

“It's difficult, but I don't want to talk the town down, I want to talk the town up.”

While declining high streets are hardly unique, many in Herne Bay lay the blame squarely at the feet of Canterbury City Council (CCC).

Last April, parking charges were hiked to as much as £2.70 an hour in some car parks, and free evening parking in William Street was scrapped.

In the 10 months that followed, year-on-year parking ‘acts’ fell by 24,036 - but the council still netted £177,706 more due to the higher rates.

It’s a change many see as a key factor in the town’s downturn, at a time when the cost-of-living crisis has already limited people’s spending power.

David Cain, who has run Cain’s Amusements on the seafront for 47 years, has pleaded with the council to reconsider.

“I’m sure it’s affected the town; if you look at somewhere like Mortimer Street, people are struggling there,” he said.

“When things get tough, we should reduce the prices to get people here, not put the prices up.

“Sometimes, we need help - we don't need a kick in the teeth.”

Ms Pavey agrees: “The parking - make that free. I don't see why you have to charge such an amount all the time. It bugs me.”

Despite its seasonal charm, Herne Bay’s long, linear layout can work against it. The High Street and Mortimer Street stretch for more than a mile, leaving vacant units even more noticeable.

In towns like Ramsgate or Faversham, vibrant markets help bring shoppers back. But here, there has been no such luck.

Andrew Thompson, owner of Dreams Estate Agency, said: “I think we need to be encouraging businesses to take the steps, maybe starting off in stores, building the market up a bit bigger, so it draws more people in.

“The locals have to support it. It's no good asking a load of small independents to come in to boost the town if everyone goes to Westwood Cross to buy their clothes.”

Ms Delbaere suggests giving the town more structure.

“My idea would be to maybe split the town into quarters and make it easier for people when they come to understand what is where and when,” she said.

Though many traders fear for the future, there remains cautious optimism. Independent businesses, they say, could still help Herne Bay turn a corner.

In nearby Canterbury, 69% of businesses in the city centre are independent - proof, some say, that a thriving local scene is possible.

“Please be positive,” Ms Delbaere urged. “Please say, ‘Come on Herne Bay, come to Herne Bay and open something exciting.’

“There is so much that Herne Bay's got to offer and there is a whole strata of community in Herne Bay that currently aren’t being served.

“I run a small independent bookshop. It's coming up to year three, and it is growing, so that tells me there is an appetite in the town for decent shops like that, but they're few and far between.

“I want people to realise, as I've said, there is disposable income in the town centre and there are not many places that serve the community at the moment.”

Canterbury City Council spokesman Rob Davies says the authority shares “the optimism expressed about Herne Bay’s future”, adding that is has a “thriving and diverse mix of businesses that attract investment and ensure employment for local people”.

He continued: "Our strategy for the town is to have high-quality public spaces and great connections for pedestrians and cyclists between the seafront, shopping areas, the railway station and the town's outer areas, with the seafront being the focus of our regeneration efforts.

"Herne Bay's great heritage, range of open spaces and beautiful coastline will deliver new opportunities for shopping, community and leisure events that will boost tourism and the local economy for years to come."