Councillors propose parking charge freeze | Sevenoaks District Council

Councillors propose parking charge freeze

Published: Friday, 2nd October 2026

Sevenoaks District Council is proposing to freeze current parking charges from April 2027 to help businesses and residents with the rising cost of living.

The price freeze will apply to car parks and on-street parking, as well as parking season tickets, permits and vouchers.

A daily charge will be introduced for weekend parking in the Gordon Road car park in Sevenoaks.

As customers increasingly choose to pay for parking by card, MiPermit App or by phone, the Council is also proposing to phase out cash payments for car parking, in line with the approach being adopted by many local authorities.

Cash payments are expensive to collect and deposit, and are the least-used payment option. 89% of total car parking payments come from mobile phone apps or card.

The proposal for Gordon Road and the savings generated from the collection of cash payments will help fund the increased costs of running car parks such as power, business rates, insurance, maintenance, enforcement, CCTV, security, and improvements to safety, drainage and lighting.

Benchmarking with other Kent councils shows most are raising their parking charges by around 2.5% to cover inflation and rising costs.

Cllr Irene Roy, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Cleaner and Greener, says: “Despite significant increases in our costs, we are proposing to freeze our current parking charges from April to support businesses, residents and visitors.

“At the same time, as part of setting a balanced budget, we are proposing to introduce weekend charges in the Gordon Road car park.

“Like most other businesses, we have seen cash payments dwindle in recent years. Parking is no different, as customers choose the convenience of paying by card or phone.”

The Council’s Cleaner and Greener Committee recommended the proposals at its meeting on 1 October 2026. The Cabinet will consider the Committee’s recommendations on 20 October 2026. If approved, the changes will come into effect from 1 April 2027.