Statement regarding town centre parking

Published: 16/03/2023

We'd like to answer some of the questions we have been asked about town centre parking charges...

Town centre parking

All car parks run by Ashford Borough Council have a minimum parking charge, the details of which can be found on our website and on the tariff boards at the car parks themselves.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition has been introduced recently at Elwick Place car park but this has not had an impact on the charges here - they are the same as they were before this technology was introduced.

Our parking charges are reviewed every three years, are comparable with other local authorities across the county and competitive against privately run car parks in the area. All car parks require maintaining and income generated from parking fees covers this maintenance and running costs.

We have been offering free parking for a number of years now. Some of our car parks offer free parking after 3pm and on Sundays. Along with this initiative visitors can enjoy additional free parking in the run up to Christmas.

Town centres are changing

Retail businesses across the country have been impacted by changes in shopping habits and increasing preference for online shopping which has only been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. With that in mind Ashford Borough Council’s cabinet recently approved plans to reset Ashford town centre focussing on the Bank Street and Elwick Road areas.

Several projects to help revitalise the area will follow the same themes as the council’s Recovery Plan, which is the workplan for the next 18 months while the borough recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The plans include:

improving the links between key destinations such as the station and New Town Works to the town centre itself, making it easier to walk and cycle between them;
encouraging independent retailers to the newly revitalised area
ensuring that the increasing numbers of people living within the town centre have the infrastructure they need close to their homes;
build on the community spirit within the town centre, as shown by the success of events like Snowdogs, Illuminites and Create festival;
improving the gateways to the new high street – Elwick Road and Victoria Road.