Kent cinema manager warns increased parking fees threaten survival

Management at a Kent cinema has stated that its continued operation will be challenging should fees in the region’s highest-priced car parks be further elevated. According to the regional manager of the Curzon Westgate in Canterbury, the establishment has already experienced a significant decline in patronage since April, when hourly parking charges in the adjacent Pound Lane increased from £2.50 to £3.70. However, Canterbury City Council intends to raise these charges further to £3.80 and also expand the number of parking facilities subject to the highest tariff, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Alex Rickets, the council’s lead member responsible for parking, stated that “we don’t live in a world” where a reduction in these fees is feasible. Antony Bunger, the regional manager for the cinema, commented: “The proposed increase in car park prices will severely affect Curzon Canterbury Westgate’s ability to operate.“Since the most recent parking restrictions have come in, our admissions have dropped by 50% and the revenue of the cinema has been hit quite severely.“If the car park prices continue to increase we will be forced to review the viability of the Westgate cinema. This is something that we never thought we would need to do.” Mr. Bunger advocated for the current flat £2 fee for Pound Lane, which applies between 21:00 and 07:30 GMT, to be made available starting at 18:00 instead. Clare Millett, chief executive of the adjacent events venue Westgate Hall, indicated that her establishment anticipates a potential loss of £40,000 in 2025, directly attributable to these increments. She informed a cabinet meeting, “You’re killing businesses with uniform charges of parking.” The city council categorized all its locations into five distinct price bands in April, applying the highest rates to those with the greatest usage. This resulted in hourly increases of £2.10 for certain car parks in Whitstable. Mr. Rickets stated: “The simple fact is that we are in a financial situation where we are forced to do these kinds of things.” A public consultation regarding these proposals is scheduled to run from 14 November until 6 January. For updates, follow BBC Kent on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story submissions can be sent to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp at 08081 002250. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Further information on our external linking policy is available.