Beachgoers will now have to pay at a coastal car park – just one week after proposed parking fees were scrapped at others nearby.

A decision was made by Swale council's community committee to implement charges at the Ship on Shore car park on Sheppey in March last year.

The site, off Marine Parade, Sheerness, temporarily closed three weeks later and has not reopened since.

Since then, resurfacing and relining work has been carried out.

A pay machine has also been installed.

Now complete, it means drivers will now have to pay from Monday to Sunday – including public holidays – from 9am to 7pm.

People will be charged 65p for 30 minutes, £1.30 for up to one hour, £2.60 for up to two hours, £5.20 for up to four hours and £6.60 for more than four hours.

A monthly season ticket will cost £99, with a quarterly fee being £264.

Vehicles will also only be allowed to stay for a maximum of 24 hours.

However, staff carrying out Swale council business are exempt from the charges and will continue to be able to park for an unlimited amount of time in this and other lots across the borough.

Ship on Shore had been regularly cited as a hotspot for vans and other larger vehicles left there for long periods of time.

It hit the headlines in May 2022 when 44-year-old Haig Squire was found guilty of parking multiple “abandoned and dangerous” vehicles at various places, including at the Ship on Shore car park.

He was convicted at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court and told to pay £3,150 – comprising a £1,500 fine, a £150 victim surcharge, and £1,500 in court costs.

Cllr Elliott Jayes says the charges will prevent some vehicles being "dumped" at the site like they were previously.

The Swale Independents' representative for Sheppey Central said: "This car park is more out of town, so it's not like some of the others which were discussed at last week's committee meeting.

"It should also stop some of the camper vans and caravans being dumped there for long periods of the year.

"I know it's popular with some swimmers and sailors, but of course we have no data to see how much it's used.

"In the future, perhaps out-of-town charges could be looked at to make the car park cheaper because of where it is."

After hearing of the new costs, many residents were not impressed.

One person said: "There should be no charge at all.

"Businesses will suffer from this just because the council cannot manage their own budget."

Another person added: "We pay road tax, council tax, purchase tax, income tax. Why should we have to pay to park?"

The charges have been implemented just a week after controversial plans to bring in fees at three free car parks on Sheppey were scrapped.

Following a community committee meeting at Swale House on March 6, a decision was made to axe a proposal to start charging visitors at Little Oyster car park in Minster and at the library and Park Road in Queenborough.