A controversial plan to start charging at some free car parks has reared its head again, almost a year on from when it was scrapped.

During Swale council’s budget meeting last week, Cllr Hannah Perkin, who represents Faversham, proposed rates be brought in at three car parks on Sheppey - the Little Oyster in Minster and the library and Park Road, both in Queenborough.

The Swale Liberal Democrat leader pointed to the fact that the council had included the rates in its budgets in February last year – something that councillors had voted on – before the community committee scrapped the plans just weeks later in March.

It was estimated the new fees would have raised £38,000 a year for the cash-strapped council. which has filled a £1.7million hole in its 2025/26 budget with money from its reserves.

Parking charges as well as council tax were increased as part of the budget.

There was strong opposition to the introduction of fees at the three car parks when the idea was put forward last year. At the time business owners, cafe workers and tourists told KentOnline it would be like “robbery” if charges were brought in, describing it as “penalising people who want to see the sea.”

Such was the outrage that 900 people signed two petitions set up by the Little Oyster Tea Room and Bosuns tea room in Queenborough.

Nevertheless Cllr Perkin says that she believes the decision to scrap the plan was “wrong”.

She said: “[The decision] immediately undermined the parity of charging across the borough.

“I was disappointed to see on Facebook that our attempts to create fairness ‘belonged in the bin’ and have had some interesting messages from Sheppey residents telling me to worry about what is going on in my patch and not what is happening in their patch.

“But I am worried about what’s happening in my patch. People are being charged through the nose for car parking while people elsewhere are keeping their car parks free.

“Rising car parking charges and evening charges have been keenly felt by businesses in Faversham and not only this, it has compounded street parking issues.”

But Sheppey councillors opposed the budget amendment brought forward by Cllr Perkin.

Cllr Tom Nundy (Swale Inds), who represents Minster Cliffs, pointed to the parking fee introduction at the Ship on Shore car park, in Sheerness, after it received a £68,000 facelift in March last year, as a reason for not putting in the charges.

He said the charges have turned that car park into the “Mary Celeste”.

“People will not park in the car parks if you introduce the charges,” he added.

“I understand some people will not be happy with the result [of the community committee] but that generally happens with votes.”

He also said that by not buying parking machines, which would have cost £24,000, along with charging for parking at Swale House during the week and introducing fees at the Shingle Bank and Shellness Road, as well as motorhome rates opposite Shingle Bank, would all make up the expected revenue could have lost out on.

“That is how you saved £38,000, not by hitting people with extra parking charges,” he added, “the detrimental effect this would have on the Island far outweighs any benefit the council may or may not get from those charges.”

Cllr Elliot Jayes (Swale Inds), who represents Sheppey Central, said the expected money the council would make was “pie in the sky”.

He added: “You are estimating how much people are likely to park and as we have seen with the Ship on Shore, people will just park on the road.

“The community committee rejected this and is the council going to ignore its service committee.”

The amendment was voted down - with four councillors voting for it, 35 against it and one abstention.