Earlier this week people in a certain part of the county hit out at a council for increasing car park season ticket prices.

Residents criticised Canterbury city council for doubling parking permit fees in just two years.

Prices for a 12-month permit - allowing drivers to park in a number of car parks across the town - have risen across the district.

Canterbury residents are now forking out £950 - up from £700 in 2017.

But how does that compare to the rest of the county? KentOnline has looked at the prices across the county and found it's a real postcode lottery.

Gravesham has the highest costs for permits for town centre car parks and charges £1,380 a year for one.

Sevenoaks comes a close second and charges £1,300 for a year long permit in a car park near the railway station.

But if you want to park in style at the same car park, which has extra wide spaces near the entrance, they can buy a premium permit for a staggering £2,500 a year.

Third most expensive was Tunbridge Wells with a permit for the Calverley Terrace Car Park costing £1,160 for the year.

Most authorities charge roughly between £500 and £950, for a year long permit, but in some areas a year-long permit costs as little as £410 a year as it does in the Dover, Deal and Sandwich.

Some councils also provide different kinds of permits for different uses such as overnight parking permits and ones which can be purchased for just a few days or all week parking.

Others, like Swale Borough Council charge on a quarterly or monthly basis only.

Here is a list of each authority in Kent and how must their permits cost.

Ashford

Season ticket prices vary from town centre car parks and out of town car parks and allow motorists to park for seven days a week.

A permit for a in town centre car park for a year is £760, for a six month one the cost is £405, for three months it's £215 and for a month long permit the cost is £76.

To park in the Flour Mill Car Park for a year the cost is £675, for six months it costs £360, for three months the cost is £191 and a month permit costs £68.

To park in the Henwood Car Park for a year the cost is £540, for a six month permit it's £288 and for a three month permit the cost is £153 and a month-long permit costs £54.

A permit to park in for a year in the Bridewell Lane Car Park, in Tenterden, costs £760, for a six month permit the cost is £405 and for a three month permit the cost is £215 and for a month it is £76.

Canterbury, Herne Bay and Whitstable

In these areas, permit charges vary depending on the number of hours motorists want to park.

A full car park permit for the Canterbury area costs £950 a year.

A limited car park permit for parking between 5pm and 9am costs £550.

In Herne Bay car parks, an annual permit costs £500 and a limited permit between 5pm and 9am costs £300.

In Whitstable a full annual permit costs £700 and £400 for the limited version.

Dartford

In the borough people can buy a car park season ticket monthly for £60 in monthly intervals up to a maximum of 12 months, thus £720 a year.

The permits allow people to park in the Overy Street and Acacia car parks.

Other council run car parks are managed by Parkmobile, and motorists can use a pay-and-display machine register with Parkmobile, for a cashless parking service.

Dover, Deal and Sandwich

In these areas a year-long parking permit costs £410 and a six month permit costs £215.

Folkestone and Hythe

In these districts there are two different sorts of car park season tickets.

Residents can buy a season ticket for £60 a year and park in one of the council's long-stay car parks for up to three hours a day or in a short stay car park for up to two hours a day.

Non-residents can buy season tickets to park in the district's car parks for anything up to seven days a week to one day a week.

A permit for seven days a week for a year, costs £657, £329 for six months and a three month permit costs £165.

An annual permit for six days a week is £560, or £280 for six months or £140 for three months.

A five day a week permit for a year costs £468, or £234 for six months and £117 for three months.

An annual permit for a four day a week is £374 or £187 for a six month period or £94 for a three month permit.

A year-long permit for a three day a week permit costs £280, or £140 for a six month one and £70 for a three month permit.

A two-day year long permit costs £187, or £94 for a six month one and £47 for a three month one.

An annual permit for a one-day a week in the area costs £94, or £47 for six months and £24 for a three month one

Gravesham

In the borough season tickets cost more or less depending on what council car park you choose to use.

Prices also vary when motorists buy a year-long permit as the the council offer more of a discount.

If people buy a year-long one, there is a 20% discount on the annual price and there is a 15% discount if a six-month permit is purchased and a 10% discount on a three month permit.

People buying a one month ticket get just a 5% discount on the annual cost.

To park in the Parrock Street, Rathmore Road, Market Square, Horn Yard or West Street car parks, the cost is £137 for a month, £388 for three months, £733 for six month and £1,380 for an annual one.

If motorists were to pay for their parking each day in one of the car parks, the cost would be £1,725.

A permit in the in West Street Car Park costs £137 for a month, £388 for three months, £733 for six months and £1,380 for a year.

A permit for Milton Place, Gurdwara and Ordnance Road car parks, the cost is £91 for a month, £259 for three months, £489 for six months and £920 for a year.

The costs are based on motorists using each said car park for 230 days a year.

Nick Brown, director environment and operations at Gravesham Borough Council, said:c "Gravesham’s season ticket pricing structure takes account of Gravesend’s unique positioning with high speed rail services to St Pancras and Stratford, and international connections via Ebbsfleet International Station.

"Therefore those who purchase season tickets to park in the town centre and travel to alternative destinations pay a premium."

Maidstone

In the borough motorists can buy permits for car parks for five or seven days a week.

A three month permit to park five days a week costs £250 and £303 for a seven day one.

A sixth month permit to five days a week costs £440 and £540 for a seven day one.

And a yearly permit for parking five days a week costs £770 and £930 for a seven day a week one.

Medway

In the Towns there are various parking permits motorists can purchase.

There is a any car park season ticket for commuters, a specific car park season ticket and one for the multi-story car park near Rochester Railway Station.

The cost of the any car park permit costs £160 for three months for a Medway resident and £180.30 for a non-Medway resident.

A year long permit costs £545 for a Medway resident and £628.30 for someone living outside the Towns.

A 12-month permit to park in a specific car park costs £420 and a permit to park at the Rochester multi-storey for three months costs £216.30 and £731.30 for a year.

Sevenoaks

In the area season ticket costs vary at different car parks.

At the Bradbourne Car Park, which is close to Sevenoaks Railway Station, a weekly permit costs £40 and a monthly one costs £160.

A three-month permit for the same car park costs £335 and a six month one, £660.

An annual permit for this car park costs £1,300.

However, commuters can also purchase an annual premium permit costs £2,500.

The season ticket offers exclusive use of an extra-large parking space close to the entrance to the car park.

An annual permit for the Sevenoaks Town Car Park, formerly Buckhurst 2, costs £300 for a first car for a year and £600 for a second car.

Residents can also purchase a residents permit to park in the car park overnight.

The dusk ‘til dawn permit costs £50 a year for the first car, £150 for a second car and £300 for a third car for the year.

A parking permit at Bevan Place Car Park, in Swanley, for the year costs £396 and one for three months costs £109.

A permit for the Westerham Town Centre Car Park, at Darent, costs £12.50 for three months and £50 for year.

Swale

In the borough prices vary from short stay car parks to long stay ones and Swale Borough Council offers quarterly permits or monthly ones where available.

A permit for the short stay Central Car Park in Faversham and The Forum Car Park in Sittingbourne, costs £235 per quarter and is for businesses only.

The long stay Partridge Lane and Queens Hall car parks in Faversham and costs £88 per month or £235 per quarter.

A permit for the Spring Street, St Michael’s Road, Bell Road, and Cockleshell Walk car parks in Sittingbourne costs the same as does the Albion Place, Beach Street, Bridge Road, Cross Street, Trinity Road car parks in Sheerness.

The Promenade Car Park in Leysdown costs £250 a quarter and can also be used in any long stay car park in the area.

The borough council also offers resident only off-street parking permits for people living near to car parks.

Motorist who buy one can park in the car parks from 5pm to 9am each day and weekends and on bank holidays.

In Faversham, people living in Cross Lane and Bank Street can get a quarterly permit for the Central Car Park for just £20.

In Sheerness, motorists living in Harris Road, Portland Terrace and Albion Place can purchase a quarterly permit to park in the Albion Place Car Park for £20.

And those living in Sheerness town centre can buy one for the same price to park in the Cross Street Car Park.

Motorists living in Trinity Road, can also get one to park in the Trinity Road Car Park for the same price.

And a quarterly pass for the Delmark Road Car Park in Sheerness costs just £15 for residents.

Thanet

There are three options for season ticket permit discs for car parks in Thanet.

For all car parks, Disc A, the cost is £630 for the year.

For all long-term car parks only, Disc B, the cost is £480 and for selected car parks, Disc C, the cost for the year is £380.

Tonbridge and Malling

Motorists in the area can buy a permit for the Sovereign Way Complex which gives them a choice of three car parks, Sovereign Way East, Sovereign Way North and Vale Road.

A 12-month season ticket costs £950, a monthly permit costs £110, one for three months costs £300 and a six month permit costs £550.

A permit for the Lower Castle Field Car Park in Tonbridge costs £950 for a year, £550 for six months and £300 for three months and £110 for a monthly permit.

Motorists who live in the area can also buy a yearly off-peak permit which allows residents to park overnight between 4pm and 9am the following day Monday to Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday in any council owned car park in Tonbridge.

The costs is £270 for the year.

Motorists using the Blue Bell Hill Commuter Car Park can buy a 12-month permit for £300, a six month one for £180, a three month one for £100 and a monthly permit for £35.

The Haysden and Leybourne Lakes Country Park car parks permit is just £40 for a year.

A permit for the Western Road Car Park, in Borough Green, costs £290 for a year, £160 for six months and £90 for a three month one.

Motorists in West Malling can buy a yearly permit for the Ryarsh Lane Car Park for £175.

Only workers in West Malling town centre can purchase these season tickets and there is currently a waiting list.

Tunbridge Wells

Prices vary from depending on which car park the permit is for.

The Crescent Road Car Park costs £1,050 for a full time permit and £840 for a part time one.

Residents pay less at £535 for a yearly permit.

A permit for the Calverley Terrace Car Park costs £1,160 for the year.

A permit for the Beech Street & Camden Road (Beech section) car parks costs £1,050 for a the year and a part-time one costs 840.

The Beech Street & Camden Road (Camden section) car parks costs the same price, £1,050 and£840.

A permit for the Commercial Road West Car Park costs £800 a year, part-time permits are not available at the site.

A season ticket for the Great Hall Car Park costs £1,050, again, part-time parking permits are not sold for this car park.

Residents near the High Brooms Car Park can purchase a year long permit for this site for £200.

A full-time permit for the John Street Car Park costs £400 and part-time permits are not sold at this site.

And people who are employed near to the North Grove Road Car Park can get their hands on a full-time year long permit for £125.

One for the Yew Tree Road Car Park for people who work close by costs £200 for the year.

And to park in the Meadows Road Car Park on levels eight and nine only, costs £1,050 for a full-time permit for the year.

A permit for residents who live near the North Grove Road Car Park costs £125 for the year.

And people living near the Stone Street Car Park can get one for £200 for the year and one for the Warwick Road Car Park costs £470 a year.

And people who want to buy one for the Yew Tree Road Car Park, the cost is £400 a year.