Villagers thought a hike in car parking charges was an April Fool's Day joke - because the rise was so "unreasonable"."

Motorists were shocked to discover on April 1 that all-day parking in School Lane in Herne, Kent had jumped from £2.20 to £15.

And they claim that, 10 days on from the changes, usage of the car park has already dropped off - and local businesses are being affected.

Retired builder Scott Davis' daughter recently took over the nearby Smugglers Inn pub, which has no onsite parking.

The 67-year-old said: "How can they justify a price increase like that?"

"Nobody knew anything about it until we saw the meter, and then everyone thought it must be an April Fool."

"The car park is usually full with all sorts of users, from mums on the school run and parents taking kids to football, to people attending functions at the community centre and those going to church."



"There are also those who visit the pub for a drink or lunch, and sometimes leave their cars overnight."

"But now the car park is almost empty, with the cost forcing people to park in the narrow streets, which is upsetting residents."

"I could understand it if we were in the middle of Canterbury or Herne Bay, but this is a sleepy little hollow."

"It’s ridiculous - and everyone’s got the hump about it."

Previously, users of the car park were charged 60p for 30mins, £1.20 for two hours or £2.20 for 24 hours.

Now the fees are £1.90 an hour – just 30p less than the former daily rate – and a maximum of £15 for a day.



These prices are charged between 9am and 6pm.

Sadie Davis, who runs the Smugglers Inn, says she is already feeling the effect of the parking fee increases.

She said: "Customers come into the pub for lunch and use the car park because there’s nowhere else."

"But even a couple of hours is now costing them £3.80, which is clearly putting people off."

Herne and Broomfield Parish Council, which is based at the Herne Community Centre behind the car park, strongly objected to the increase in fees when they were first proposed by the city council.

Clerk Michele Nicholson said: "The car park is vital for many residents, especially given that there is no on-street parking in the centre of the village and very little off-street parking."



"It is a village amenity, used mainly by residents rather than visitors to the area."



"Parents park there during school drop off and pick up times, which alleviates some of the parking issues in neighbouring streets."

"It is also used by people attending the church, dentist, and other local businesses."

"The increase is having a detrimental effect on the businesses in the area and the residents of the parish."

Also irritated by the hike is church warden for St Martin’s in Herne, Priscilla Cox, who says churchgoers are now fretting about the fees and being landed with a ticket.

She said: "There are some very large gatherings for things like weddings and funerals, and the car park is vital."

"But it is even affecting things like our coffee mornings, with parishioners saying they can’t stay too long because it’s too expensive to park."



"It’s completely unreasonable and should be reconsidered."

Canterbury City Council spokesman Rob Davies said: "We accept that the change in approach to car park banding has resulted in an increase in prices at School Lane."

"But we have continued to allow free parking for the morning school run and in the evening for events at the Herne Centre."

"Residents are also able to apply for an off-street residents' permit which offers good value for all year-round parking."

"As with all parking charges, the situation at School Lane will be reviewed next year, when we will consider what the impact of the change has been."