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Waitrose Kings Hill considers parking charges

By: Luke May

Published: 11:49, 06 December 2019

Updated: 11:49, 06 December 2019

A supermarket is considering bringing in parking charges at an estate described as "full to bursting".

Waitrose has applied to install number plate recognition at its Little Waitrose store in Fortune Way in Kings Hill.

Waitrose is considering putting parking charges at its store in Kings Hill (23525995)

A Waitrose spokeswoman said: "We are not making any changes at this time. However, we have submitted a planning application for an ANPR system to understand if this might be an option in the future to help us improve how we manage the car park."

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council has been handed a planning application to attach the ANPR camera to a lamppost at the entrance of the 67 space car park.

An ongoing planning inquiry into building 435 homes around Kings Hill heard parking is already a problem on business estate.

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Asda in Alexander Grove has free parking for three hours, David Lloyd has free parking for four hours - to park any longer visitors will need to notify reception.

Siobhan Kirk said: "Car parking on Kings Hill has been exacerbated by Asda, David Lloyd and Waitrose introducing parking measures.

"They were forced to do this as their car parks were being used as overspill for the station and office workers."

Parish councillor Margaret Colman explained some of the problems: "There is a serious problem with employee parking, every car park is full to bursting.

"Any sign of parking, tandem businesses are practising tandem parking, car shares and walking to try and alleviate the problem. In addition to this employees are parking anywhere they can within the residential areas of Kings Hill, blocking roads and making it difficult for residents to get their homes.

"Parking on the business park has been a serious problem for the last 10 years, I personally worked on Kings Hill Avenue for six and a half years and never knew if I would be able to park my car in the same space after arriving back from lunch."

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Asda, which neighbours Little Waitrose, has no plans to introduce parking charges, having only changed to a three hour limit in October.

View Waitrose's planning application on TMBC's planning portal, reference number 19/02713/FL.

Read more: All the latest news from West Malling.

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