People heading to The Strand Leisure Park in Gillingham today will now have to pay to park their cars there.

As revealed earlier this year, parking charges were to introduced for the first time at the family-friendly site, after plans were approved by Medway councillors in February.

The move, approved at Medway Council’s budget meeting, has now seen parking meters installed at the park.

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From today, people visiting the site will have to pay £5.20 to stay for more than six hours.

At the time it was announced parking charges would be introduced, Labour councillors said the move would cause problems with parking for people living nearby.

They feared people would not want to pay and would park in nearby residential streets.

The leader of Medway Council, Cllr Alan Jarrett also revealed during his budget statement £50,000 had been allocated for improvements at The Strand.

The money is being spent on improving the children’s play areas and improvements to the outdoor pool pumping system.

Labour Cllr for Gillingham North Andy Stamp, who is also the Medway Labour Group spokesman for regeneration, thinks the venue is not longer a cheap day out for families.

He said: “Families across Medway and particularly those on low incomes have, for more than a century, been able to rely on a cheap day out at The Strand.

“The council has refused to ringfence money raised from parking charges to fund improvements at the Strand.

"It has also refused to consider a nominal flat-rate daily fee of 50 pence or £1 and refused to suspend the charges at weekends.

“We have opposed this policy from the start and will continue to fight for families.”

Cllr Pat Cooper, (Labour) also for Gillingham North, added: “It is particularly cynical to begin enforcing these charges just in time for the school holidays.

“Looking after children through the summer is already an expensive business. Once again young people will pay the price for the Tory-run council’s misplaced priorities.”