Pubs in a seaside town have banded together to bar ten councillors from their premises after a vote to end free parking, which local business owners claim will 'kill' their trade. Drivers using the Park Road car park in Queenborough, on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, will face a charge of £1.60 per hour from April 1, ending the previous free parking policy.
Local Backlash and Petitions
The new parking charges have sparked significant local backlash, leading to multiple petitions, one of which gathered over 2,800 signatures. In response, signs have been posted outside pubs banning ten councillors who sit on Swale Borough Council's Environmental Services and Climate Change Committee, which approved the charges in November 2025.
The barred councillors include Angela Harrison, James Hunt, Lloyd Bowen, Carole Jackson, Dolley Wooster, Charlie Miller, Shelley Cheesman, Hannah Perkin, Charles Gibson, and Terry Thompson. Nine of the ten voted in favor, while Councillor Wooster abstained as chair.
Pub Owners Speak Out
Lauren Shorter, a 34-year-old barmaid at The Old House at Home, described the charges as 'unfair.' She explained that the pub decided to ban the councillors because they were 'fed up with losing local business.' Ms. Shorter added: 'Everyone is suffering bad. It is really bad. Some days you'll take in less than half of what you normally would if people could park over there.' On Thursday, only one of the 25 parking spaces was occupied, while nearby free street parking was nearly full.
Bar managers Fayleigh Mcilroy, 31, and Matthew Nichol, 44, of The Flying Dutchman, agreed they would 'politely refuse' to serve the ten councillors. Mr. Mcilroy called the councillors' decision 'very selfish,' noting: 'They are not here every day and they are not using the car park. So, therefore, it didn't affect them and it still does not affect them. Other people that actually have signed the petitions, that is who it affects, and they should have been listened to and they weren't.' Mr. Nichol added: 'Local councils should be aiming to support local businesses, but I don't feel like that has happened.'
Asa Gibbarb, manager of The Rose Inn for ten years, said the charges are 'killing' his business. The 39-year-old noted that staff 'have got nowhere to park' and added: 'It is just not good for us, it is not good for anyone. It is killing us and I'm sure it is killing the pubs down the road as well.'
Mixed Reactions from Other Businesses
In contrast, Sandra Fowle, who owns the tea shop Bosuns with her husband Simon, decided to keep the doors open to councillors, believing 'they wouldn't even know where we are.' The 61-year-old, who has run the business for six years, said barring them 'makes no difference' as 'those councillors never come to Queenborough, they just don't use us.' She observed: 'You see people, they will drive in, look at the car park and drive away. All you're doing is sending them to the bigger places – you're stopping them, they're going to Starbucks and they're going to Costa where there is free parking. You've stopped the small businesses here.'
Ray Featherstone MBE, an 81-year-old blue badge holder who would be exempt from the charges, said he is parking on the street 'in solidarity' with those affected. He described the charges as 'forcing cars on to the road' and 'making it difficult for other people.' He added: 'I can't see how the council can think they can possibly raise capital by doing this. They've obviously got some idea they're going to improve the funding of the council by charging all the motorists. I think there must be another way of making money. I think they've made a big mistake.'
Councillor and Council Responses
The ten barred councillors were contacted for comment. Councillor James Hunt said: 'I can understand the businesses not being happy with the parking charges, especially as it isn't something they have had to contend with in Queenborough before. As councillors, we do have difficult decisions to make. The council has been under immense financial pressure in recent years and the most difficult decision we have to make are those that ensure we have a balanced budget. Car parking charges is part of the budget that must be considered across the borough. As a councillor in Sittingbourne, rather than one on the Isle of Sheppey, I must look at the fairness of businesses in the area I represent, who don't have the benefit of free parking in council car parks. Is it fair that businesses in one area get a benefit that other areas do not? Ideally all car parks would be free, but that isn't possible financially. I don't believe the car parking charges in Queenborough will work, as people won't pay to park when there is on-street parking that is available to park for free, hence my proposal that this decision be revisited later in the year when we can see if the expected income has been generated, and hopefully use that as an argument that charging in these car parks isn't the right thing to do due to the expected income not being realised.'
A Swale Borough Council spokesperson stated: 'Our car parks and parking services incur ongoing maintenance and operational costs, which must be managed as part of our legal obligation to set a balanced budget. Revised parking charges remain lower than those in many neighbouring coastal areas and bring the affected sites in line with other car parks across the borough, including those in Sheerness, Sittingbourne, and Faversham. Feedback received from statutory consultations led to changes in the original proposals, including the removal of charges during school drop off and pick up times at selected car parks to address safety concerns. Seasonal pricing has also been introduced at the Little Oyster and Park Road car parks to help manage demand during peak periods, while maintaining availability for residents during quieter times of the year. Here at Swale, we want to support high streets and continue to assist small businesses through measures such as business rates relief. With the alignment of parking charges now in place we will review the impact of our policies across the borough, in due course.'
