High street traders fear the introduction of “ludicrous” parking charges in nearby side streets will put them out of business.

Shoppers in Birchington already have to pay the £2.30-an-hour fee to park in the village’s main retail street, Station Road.

But now meters have also been installed in surrounding roads where parking is currently available for a limited time for free.

The machines - which are not yet active - have been placed in Eastfield Road, Station Approach and Paddock Road following a review into parking by Thanet District Council in 2018.

Opponents are being urged to write letters of complaint or suggestions for a fairer charge and post them in two boxes, one in Priceless Discount in Station Road and Brills in The Square.

They will be handed to Thanet District Council next week.

Carol Adams, who has run Priceless Discount for 30 years, says the charges are “disgusting”.

'We’re not naive to think they’ll take the meters away but the cost is too much' - Carol Adams

“This will put us out of business,” she said.

“We’re not naive to think they’ll take the meters away but the cost is too much and we need some free parking.

“We are the only village to have on-street parking charges. It is very unfair. Not everyone can walk from the car parks which charge £1 for one hour.”

Mandy Thomas, who runs Mandy’s Deli in Station Road, says Birchington is a village like Westgate, where plans for pay-and-display machines have been scrapped by the council.

“All we want is to be treated the same,” she said. “They have put in more parking meters in side roads in Birchington now and this will kill the village.

“I had somebody park outside the deli and when his wife went to the parking meter and told him how much it was, he said ‘you have got to be joking’ and they left.

Ray Holland, chairman of the Birchington Traders Forum, says the more people who write letters the more chance they will have of getting the council to take notice.

“We understand the council has got to make money, but if they continue the way they are going I strongly suspect we’ll end up with more empty shops,” he said. “We would suggest a £1 charge for the first hour and then after that £2.30.”

He says at the moment people can pay 20p for 10 minutes in on-street parking - which goes up to 60p for 20 minutes - but argues that elderly people can’t realistically do their shopping in that time.

“That gives you only enough time to get some milk in which case people will go to the Co-Op rather than visit our smaller, independent shops,” he said. “The £2.30 cost is having a detrimental impact to the traders.

“The price is ludicrous.”

Critics also warn if a link road is built as part of plans for 1,600 new homes in the area, people will bypass the village altogether and shop at Westwood Cross where parking is free.

A spokesman from Thanet District Council said: “Following a review of parking provision and an extensive public consultation in May 2018, three roads in Birchington changed from time limited bays to shared pay and display with residents bays.

“The three roads - Eastfield, Paddock and Station Approach - now have up to two-hour pay and displays alongside its existing resident parking scheme.

“The decision was taken not to proceed with pay and display schemes in Westgate-on-Sea, Minnis Bay and Westbrook at this time following objections received during the 2018 public consultation and a review by the Joint Transportation Board.”

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