Medway council is set to introduce a new ticketless system at The Brook multi-storey car park in Chatham next week.

The new system will come into operation from Monday March 29, and will read visitors’ number plates as they enter the car park, using new automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.

When motorists return to the car park they will use one of four new parking machines to enter their registration details and will be able to pay by cash, card or by using contactless.

New ANPR cameras will then automatically raise the barrier at the car park’s exit.

Cllr Phil Filmer, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Frontline Services, said: “I am pleased that we are introducing a new ticketless parking system in one of our car parks for the first time.

"The new ANPR system at The Brook multi-storey car park will allow residents to park without needing to carry a ticket around with them. Our new parking machines will also enable motorists to pay for parking by cash, card or by contactless payment.”

Medway Council is considering piloting ANPR parking in two of Medway’s council-run car parks later this year.

Council officers say the system is not likely to result in problems seen when a similar system was introduced in Canterbury in 2019, when visitors to the Marlowe Theatre were forced to stand in the middle of the road waiting to pay for parking as many struggled to operate the new system in St Radigund's car park.

Michael Edwards, Medway Council’s head of transport and parking, said: “The Brook car park has had entrance and exit barriers for many years. With the new ANPR technology, motorists will not need to wait for a ticket, which may speed up the parking process.”

From April 1 there will be a 20p increase in parking charges in all council-owned car parks, as agreed by Full Council in February. The five-15 hour charge at Rochester multi-storey car park will increase by 50p.

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