Council seeks views on new residential parking policy

Thanet District Council is inviting residents and businesses to share their feedback on proposals for managing on-street parking in residential areas. 

The draft Residential Parking Policy has been developed to provide a clear and consistent framework for introducing, changing, and removing existing parking restrictions. It applies to all publicly-owned residential streets, outside the main town centres. 

When finalised, the policy will help to ensure that decisions about on-street parking are fair, evidence-based, supporting the needs of the local community and the council’s wider objectives.

The consultation opens today, Monday 8 December and closes on Monday 12 January 2026.

Cllr Kristian Bright, Cabinet Member for Parking, Tourism and Culture at Thanet District Council, commented on the launch of the consultation: “We recognise that parking is a key issue for our residents, and this new policy is about making the process of managing on-street parking as fair and transparent as possible. 

“We want to empower our communities, ensuring that new restrictions or residents’ schemes are introduced where they are truly needed and have strong local support. The proposed changes will help us manage parking in a consistent and evidence-based manner for the long-term benefit of our residents. 

“I strongly encourage everyone living and working in the district to review the draft policy and complete the survey before the deadline.”

The survey can be completed on Your Voice Thanet, the council’s public engagement platform, following a short registration process. It closes on Monday 12 January 2026.

The feedback received will inform the final version of the policy. This will be considered by Cabinet in early 2026, and if approved, is expected to be adopted in the spring.