Discussions are due to start on the possibility of transforming part of Queenborough railway station into a commuter car park.

Swale council chief executive Abdool Kara agreed to contact rail authorities when quizzed on the issue at the Sheppey Local Engagement Forum.

The scheme involves converting the station’s disused railway sidings as commuters have taken to leaving their cars in free-to-park areas of Queenborough such as the Castle Connections site in Well Road.

Linda Brinklow, chairman of Kent Community Rail Partnership, who tackled Mr Kara over the station’s current vehicle spaces at the meeting, said: “I’m very pleased, but we’ll wait and see if it actually happens.

“It could be the answer to all our prayers.”

Mrs Brinklow said she has been campaigning for two years on the issue of parking at Queenborough station. Currently, there are only a handful of vehicle spaces outside the building.

It’s led to commuters taking advantage of nearby free parking bays outside the library and Castle Connections which houses a cafe and community centre.

Mrs Brinklow, who lives in Halfway, but is a regular visitor to the Well Road site, said: “It’s a nuisance that people leave their cars there all day.

“It’s often the case that the car park’s full but the centre’s empty, which proves the cars don’t belong to Castle Connections people.

“A lot of elderly people use the centre and have lunches there or go shopping nearby, so it really ought to be a car park for the community, not commuters.”

Mrs Brinklow said when the car park idea was previously mooted with rail chiefs, she was told money wasn’t available.

She’s hoping for a different outcome when the council sounds out Network Rail, which is believed to own the sidings.

With Sheppey due to get a direct rail route to London from January 12, she said it was imperative wheels were in motion to free up more spaces before then.

“It’s not just about parking, it’s about ensuring people get to work safely without any inconvenience,” she said.