1 week Ago By [email protected] (Sean McPolin)
A church has come under fire for installing ANPR cameras at its car park, which has seen traffic spill out onto the nearby road. Signs put up at Holy Family Catholic Church in Park Wood, Maidstone , warn anyone who leaves their vehicle at the site and isn’t visiting the church faces a fine. The site, in Bicknor Road, had seen its parking spaces fill up in recent months while work to complete a set of new build homes across the road is underway.
People visiting residents in the area and parents picking up children from the school next door also used the spaces. One woman who lives nearby, but didn’t want to be named, said: “It’s disgraceful. That car park has always been there for people to use it in the 30+ years I’ve been here.
“It’s got busier with the new homes being built further down the road, but that always happens when there’s works going on.” Another lady, who was walking her dog past the church, said traffic in the area has worsened. She added: “It’s become a nightmare when its school time now or during the day.
“Cars are left on both sides of the road and you can see buses are struggling to get through when it’s busy. “I know people who have used the car park before and there’s never been a problem.” A third homeowner in the area commented: “With the construction work going on having visitors is now impossible as they have nowhere to park due to all the vans parked along the road.
“We have lost all of the parking due to redevelopment and now church visitors park along the road and make the problem worse.” Responding to the claims, Father Desmond Mbidoaka said the car park is private property and should only be used by the congregation, people using its hall or visitors. “We sympathise with residents who previously used both the council park and our car park that was never intended for public use,” he said.
“Some residents had developed the habit of parking there without permission, particularly after losing the council park space. “However, as our private car park was being overwhelmed, we had to take action to protect access for our legitimate users.” Father Desmond says the loss of a large parking space at the former Royal British Legion Social Club to make way for housing has increased pressure for spaces in the area.
He says the decision to implement parking restrictions – which require people to register their number plate inside the church – came after instances of “problematic parking behaviour”, including unauthorised users, reports of alleged aggressive conduct towards church staff and worshippers, frequent littering and a “disregard for the property’s upkeep”. This caused disruption to services and community activities, according to Father Desmond, as well as an “environment of intimidation” for those using the facilities. Park Wood councillor Dan Wilkinson (Labour) said he’s looking to contact the church to try and find a solution for residents.
“I was aware of the problems. Buses are sometimes having getting through Bicknor Road, and the associated traffic problems,” he explained. “Although I’ve not had any specific complaints about the parking situation in the church car park or the signs that have been erected.
“As it stands, I’m liaising with Maidstone Borough Council’s parking services department, and am attempting to contact the church, to see if some solution can be found. “Fortunately the situation is only temporary given that it is largely related to the development opposite, though I appreciate the frustration for residents and road users and hope to find a way of easing the situation.” The cameras were installed on March 17 and went live a day later.
In a newsletter to churchgoers, people were told: “The cameras for the controlled parking have been installed and the system is now live. “It is vitally important that parishioners register their vehicle with the parish. “Parishioners with unregistered vehicles, or visitors to the parish, will need to register their vehicle on the tablets being provided in the church and hall.
Failure to do so will result in a parking fine.”.
