Frustrated parents are calling for the borough council to install family parking facilities in Tonbridge.
Resident Rhod Joyce has so far collected 130 signatures in support of his bid for action on the issue, highlighting the fact that Tunbridge Wells already operates a family-friendly vehicle policy at Royal Victoria Place shopping centre.
Mr Joyce said: “I don’t drive a particularly big car, but I have to leave my daughter in her buggy while I reverse my car out of a space so I can get her in her car seat and get the buggy in the boot.
“There are parent parking spaces in other places such as Tunbridge Wells, but although I have had support for the petition, there have been a few negative comments as well.
“I would like to see a permit system for parking for those with toddlers,” explained the 38 year old, who said he’d raised the matter with fellow parents, who agreed that assistance with parking facilities was required.
However, Andy Bracey, Tonbridge & Malling Borough Parking Manager, confirmed there were no plans to bring in any parent parking policies.
He said: “The borough council does not have specific parent and child spaces in its car parks, as the large spaces would reduce the overall parking capacity of the car parks, and we try to provide spaces that everyone can use.
“However, the layout of the parking in most of our car parks around The Angel Centre and Waitrose mean the blocks of parking have spaces at the end that are unobstructed, offering the chance for parents to open their doors wider to put a child into a car seat more easily. If easy access is a priority, then drivers could look for these spaces in preference to ones closer to the shops.”
