Maidstone Borough Council is relaxing parking restrictions for resident parking with immediate effect.

The move is a recognition that many more residents observing the Government's stay-at-home instructions during the second Covid lockdown will be seeking to park in the street all day instead of going off to work.

Now motorists displaying a valid resident parking permit can use the council's off-street car parks for free at all times of the day in order to ease congestion on residential streets.

The measure will end with the end of lockdown on Thursday, December 3.

Business permit holders displaying permits can also use off-street car parks for free at all times, while non-resident permit holders will be able to park in resident parking bays.

The same measures were successfully adopted in the first lockdown in March.

The parking services manager Jeff Kitson said: “Once again, we are reacting quickly to this new lockdown situation and trying to help our residents in the best way we can.

“Formal NHS permit concessions remain in place and will be honoured in line with the published guidance until government advice changes.

“On-street resident parking bays and off-street car parks remain free for NHS health and social care staff displaying a formal government approved permit in their windscreen.

"However, all double yellow lines and single yellow lines, which are placed to protect junctions and ensure highway safety, remain active to ensure the free-flow of traffic, particularly for emergency services and refuse collections."

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