Yellow lines on eight Grasmere Gardens streets in Chestfield should run Monday to Friday only, councillors agreed. Kent County Council has the final say.

New yellow lines on the Grasmere Gardens estate in Chestfield should apply on weekdays only, not on Saturdays. Councillors on the Canterbury Joint Transportation Board voted 12 to 0 for the change after residents objected to the hours.

The board met on Tuesday 20 October. Its minutes, published this month, record the vote. The board only recommends: Kent County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport makes the final decision.

Which streets

The restrictions cover parts of eight streets, as shown on the plan in the board’s report:

  • Reeves Way
  • Barley Drive
  • Maize Crescent
  • Darnel Avenue
  • Nasella Gardens
  • Citronella Road
  • Bermuda Road
  • Buffalo Way

The lines were advertised to apply Monday to Saturday, 8.30am to 6.30pm. Councillor Flanagan, who had spoken to residents, proposed dropping Saturday. The minutes record only that change; they say nothing about the times of day.

Why the lines are coming

The restrictions come from a planning condition on a different site. Planning permission CA/25/00208 allows business units on land south of The Ridgeway, between Barley Drive and The Ridgeway. Kent County Council’s highways team worried that people driving to the new units would park on the homes to the south.

So the permission requires single yellow lines on the roads along and leading from Barley Drive. The developer paid the city council to advertise them and will paint the lines and put up the signs itself, the report says.

What residents said

All 138 homes in the area were sent letters. Eleven replied: seven objected and four supported the lines.

The objections included:

  • not enough parking for residents and visitors, with many homes having one allocated space
  • the loss of the overflow car park off Reeves Way to the business development
  • hours that were too long, and Saturdays in particular
  • the effect on disabled residents, carers, tradespeople and deliveries
  • the estate still being built, so the restrictions felt premature

Those in favour said the lines would keep junctions clear, stop driveways being blocked and help traffic move.

The officers’ report recommended making the order as advertised. It said the homes were built to the council’s parking standards, with an overspill car park and some on-street visitor spaces, so “there should therefore be no need for further parking on-street”.

What it means for you

  • If you live on these streets, the lines would apply Monday to Friday only, if Kent County Council accepts the board’s recommendation. Saturdays and Sundays would be free of the restriction.
  • Nothing changes yet. The lines need a confirmed traffic order before they can be painted and enforced.

The board’s next meeting is on Tuesday 23 March 2027. Parking across the district is on our parking in Canterbury page.