A local newspaper is celebrating victory in its campaign to maintain free parking in a Kent town.

Ian Read, editor of the Kent and Sussex Courier, resurrected the campaign last year to retain free parking in Cranbrook after Tunbridge Wells Borough Council announced it was to review charging policies for a second time.

Free parking will now be maintained after Cranbrook and Sissinghurst Parish Council took over responsibility for the town’s three car parks.

However, it will leave residents of the town hit with a 21pc increase in their council tax charge from the parish council after it was forced to raise its precept as a result.

Said Ian: “The parish council feels awful about the scale of the increase it is imposing, but it need not worry, it has done the right thing.

“Being in power means taking tough decisions and it has taken an almighty one here. But it has done so with the best interests of Cranbrook at heart.

“Even if the borough council had delayed its parking charges this year, it would inevitably have been back on the agenda in the not-too-distant future. This way, the car parks are in the hands of local people who will never scrap free parking. Residents taking a small financial hit now will be helping stabilise the town’s economy for the long-term.

“In reality, this was the least worst option for the people of Cranbrook.”

A previous campaign by the newspaper raised 5,000 signatures against similar proposals in 2010.

In October Ian addressed a full meeting of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council to give a push to the campaign and a petition attracted nearly 1,500 signatures in two weeks.

The campaign was labelled by one councillor as ‘local journalism at its best.’

Chairman of the parish council Peter North told residents through the Courier: “We were left with no choice, but I hope residents will accept that free parking is vital for the town’s economy and we have taken this step to preserve it.”