Outrage in gorgeous UK town as 'best' high street 'ruined' by parking attendants and fines

A pretty English market town is at the centre of a furious row over parking charges as the number of penalty charges issued by the local council has rocketed by 216% in just three years. Royal Tunbridge Wells is renowned as one of the nicest places to live in the UK, with perks including easing access to the lush Kent countryside, good travel links to London, and a plenty of bars and restaurants.

A beautiful Georgian colonnade of shops in the town centre, known as The Pantiles, has also been voted one the best high streets in Britain, according to recent polls. But shoppers and visitors alike might be starting to think twice about venturing to this Kentish gem because of the risk of picking up a penalty charge notice (PCN), or having to pay car park prices which will rise by 187% at one popular location next month.

The wallet-busting hike is due to come into force for the town's Torrington Car Park in Vale Road, where an hour could rocket from 80p to £2.30.

According to KentLive, parking fees are set to increase from October 1 at more than 15 locations across the town.

And the Times reports, from 2021 to 2024 the number of PCNs issued by Tunbridge Wells borough council increased from 36,587 to 115,741, with almost 15,000 cancelled or written off in the financial year of 2023-24.

Sarah Wood, 61, runs an independent family-run business on The Pantiles. She told the Times: "Charging people a fiver for two hours' parking barely gives them time to eat lunch and mooch around the shops. Why would they bother coming here to buy a cast-iron pan off me when they could order online without paying that extra on top?"

And Richard Hards, the owner of the butcher's Larratt & Co near the high street, told the publication: "We have had a couple of customers collecting baguettes who parked out front, got a parking ticket and said they'd never come back again. They used to come every other week."

Ahead of a meeting to discuss proposed parking charge hikes in July this year, a council report said its revenue budget for 2026/2027 had a £2m deficit, set to grow to £7m the following year.

The report said: "The revenue budget cannot afford to subsidise the significant investment required in the car parks and the council needs to raise additional income to help cover the costs."

A spokesperson for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council told the Times that parking price increases were in line with inflation and that the council was investing in the renovation of car parks in the town. They admitted PCN numbers had increased but pointed to a new restriction in the town centre.

They added: "The ambition was to make the town friendly to shoppers, improve the environment and make it safer for pedestrians."