Ashford Borough Council Adopts New Four-Year Parking Strategy

A Framework, Not a Fait Accompli

Don’t go clearing your diary to argue with a parking machine just yet. The Parking Strategy 2026–2030 is a high-level policy framework — a direction-setter, not a done deal — covering how parking across Ashford and Tenterden will be managed through to the end of the decade. No tariff changes. No altered layouts. No new enforcement measures. Not yet, anyway.

Any concrete operational changes, whether to charges, permits, restrictions or site layouts, will be developed separately, each going through its own consultation and formal decision process. Traffic Regulation Orders, for instance, require statutory consultation involving Kent County Council as the highways authority. So there’ll be a proper period of engagement before anything actually shifts on the ground.

What the Strategy Actually Covers

The document sets out several priority themes. Keeping council car parks clean, safe and accessible sits at the heart of it. Beyond that, the focus is on expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure, exploring smarter digital tools — pay-by-phone, real-time space information, that sort of thing — and making sure all future parking projects are assessed for environmental impact.

There are already 29 EV charging points providing 53 individual connections across nine council car parks in Ashford and Tenterden, with three additional chargers recently installed at Vicarage Lane car park. Charging currently costs around 60p per kilowatt hour. With more than 2,000 registered electric vehicles in the borough, demand’s clearly there, and the strategy signals further rollout to come.

The strategy also explicitly acknowledges that Ashford and Tenterden have different parking needs and characteristics. A recognition shaped, the council says, by public feedback during earlier consultation on the draft.

Balancing the Car With the Climate

Parking policy. Not exactly the stuff of rallying cries. But the council is positioning it as part of Ashford’s broader push toward net-zero carbon for its own assets and services by 2030, tying parking management to active travel — walking and cycling — and better integration with public transport. It’s a careful balancing act: keep car parks convenient enough to support town centre footfall and business trade, while nudging people toward lower-emission choices where they can.

And the council is clear that it wants parking to keep working for retail, hospitality and service businesses in both town centres — safe, welcoming, well-maintained.

What Comes Next

Progress will be tracked through an action plan and monitoring framework, with periodic reviews built in to keep things current. Residents, businesses and community groups in Tenterden and across the borough will have further chances to feed in when specific proposals come forward.

—

Key Takeaways

• Ashford Borough Council has adopted a Parking Strategy covering 2026–2030, but it sets policy direction only — no immediate changes to charges, spaces or enforcement follow automatically
• The strategy prioritises accessible parking, EV charging expansion, digital tools and environmental assessment of future parking projects
• Any future operational changes will go through separate consultation and formal decision processes, including Traffic Regulation Orders where required

What This Means for Kent Residents

Drivers using council car parks in Ashford and Tenterden won’t see overnight changes, but the strategy signals the direction of travel over the next four years. Those who rely on accessible parking, or who’ve already made the switch to electric, are likely to see the most tangible early benefits as EV charging expands and the focus on well-kept facilities holds. Businesses in both town centres will be watching closely for any future proposals on tariffs or restrictions — but the council’s commitment to consult separately on all operational changes means nobody should be caught off-guard. Which is, all things considered, rather the point.