Parking review Hildenborough

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• Current stage
• List of locations and status
• Previous stages
• Reported issues
• Parking enforcement and what the parking team can and cannot deal with

Find progress to date below. Full details are available by visiting the meeting links at each stage.

Current stage

In line with the Councillors’ decisions from the 16 June 2025 Joint Transportation Board, arrangements are being made for the final stage of the legally required changes to the Traffic Regulation (TRO). These changes are necessary for the enforcement of any new restrictions.

Other necessary works include lining and signing. Signs are legally required, as well as lines, for single yellow lines, and permit bays. Signs are not required for double yellow lines.

Once signing and lining have taken place, and the TRO has been signed and sealed, enforcement will take place.

List of locations and decision following publication of the intention to make changes to the TRO

For location summaries, please view the 16 June 2025 Joint Transportation Board report, Item JTB 25/10.

Previous stages

June 2025

Responses to the formal consultation were reported to borough councillor members of the 16 June 2025 Joint Transportation Board, where councillors decided which locations were to proceed or not to formal consultation. Due regard was given to the responses received and it was noted that whilst there might have been a need for a wide scale parking review prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the need for intervention had significantly diminished as working from home arrangements and the desire to commute by train had altered. As a result the proposals had been revised significantly at informal consultation stage in respect of reducing residential parking permits and elements of on-street pay parking, prior to a formal consultation undertaken in January 2025.

January/February 2025

Formal consultation on the intention to change the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) took place from 24 January 2025 until 16 February 2025. Formal consultation was open to all to comment.

June 2023

Responses to the informal consultation were considered and the proposals were adapted, while still aiming for a cohesive parking scheme to address the concerns that had been raised.

Responses to the informal consultation, along with the original and adjusted proposals, were reported to borough councillors at the Joint Transportation Board meeting on 5 June  where it was decided that the adjusted proposals be taken forward to formal consultation.

January/February 2023

Informal consultation took place between 27 January 2023 and 27 February 2023. This stage of consultation asked for the views of the immediate residents and businesses in the area. Letters and a consultation form were delivered to these residents and businesses.

2019/2020

This review started in 2019, and proposals were prepared for consultation in 2020. However, due to the COVID19 pandemic and the following changes to traffic patterns the consultation was not carried out until 2023, as a 'new normal' of parking demand and traffic movements were established.

Reported Issues

The introduction of parking changes can be controversial and there can be conflicting needs. Restricting on-street parking can ease traffic flow, but some on-street parking can be beneficial in helping keep vehicle speeds down. Short-stay parking with regular turnover is important to local commercial premises that rely on visitors, but longer-stay parking is important to residents that do not have their own parking facilities.

The parking review can only consider changes to public highway, on roads adopted by Kent County Council, and the aim is to reinforce the requirements of the Highway Code, not to park at junctions, bends, crossings or where it would cause an obstruction.

Hildenborough Parish Council have been involved in deciding which areas to include and in making the proposals.

Commuter parking and residents parking

To address the station commuter parking issue, we originally proposed a two-level approach:

1. low-level pay parking restrictions to manage the on-street commuters close to the station and in Noble Tree Road
2. a residents' daytime parking permit scheme in the residential areas to prevent commuter parking

The management of the on-street commuters would have likely involved a charge, a daily rate for parking, managed through the RingGo phone payment system.

There is a charge for the operation and enforcement of a permit parking scheme. Which would be at the standard on-street resident permit parking charges as operated in other areas in the borough.

However at the Joint Transportation Board meeting 05 June 2023 , members considered all responses from the informal consultation and decided to delete both these proposals.

School pick-up and drop-off parking

The commuter management proposals are intended to dovetail with restrictions to control parking outside the schools in the area. These should allow parking at school start and finish times where it does not cause an obstruction but prevents obstructive parking. It would also assist in promoting a safer environment for pedestrians and vulnerable road users.

Obstructive parking and parking around junctions

Where we have had reports of problems, we are proposing double yellow line restrictions to prevent parking that contravenes the requirements of the Highway Code .