A proposal to introduce short-stay free parking in Sittingbourne’s council-run town centre car parks was considered by the Environmental Services and Climate Change Committee on 20 October 2026, with a public consultation and budget process still to follow before any change could take effect.
A proposal to offer free short-stay parking in Sittingbourne town centre car parks — mirroring the restrictions already applied to on-street parking in the high street — was considered by Swale Borough Council’s Environmental Services and Climate Change Committee on 20 October 2026.
How the proposal developed
The idea originated at a workshop held during the June 2026 Sittingbourne Councillors and Residents Forum, where a public vote agreed to ask the Chair of the Environmental Services and Climate Change Committee to explore the concept. The Economy and Property Committee was also made aware of the proposal at that stage.
The scheme, described in the forum papers as free ‘Stop and Shop’ parking, would apply the same time restrictions as those already in place for on-street parking in the high street, with the aim of improving footfall in Sittingbourne town centre.
What happens next
According to the forum papers, if the committee approved the idea, it would proceed to public consultation as part of the council’s budget consultation process. The matter would then be debated in January 2027, with a view to including any change in the council’s fees and charges from April 2027.
The council had not published the minutes of the meeting at the time of writing, so the committee’s decision is not yet on the public record.
Sources
- Swale Borough Council — Sittingbourne Councillors and Residents Forum, 21 October 2026 (agenda and papers)
- Sittingbourne Councillors & Residents Forum October 2026 — You Said, We Did and Matters Arising (Swale Borough Council)
Top image: illustrative, computer-generated. Illustrative AI-generated image. This is not a photograph of any real Sittingbourne car park or location.