The debate over the increase in pay-and-display parking charges in Kingston continues as local campaigner Gia Borg-Darcy has now filed a formal complaint against the council.

She has also launched a petition to the UK Parliament calling for national limits on how much local authorities can raise parking fees.

The Chessington-based tutor and mother previously gathered 1,200 signatures in her petition against recent parking charge increases by Kingston Council.

Her campaign led to the reinstatement of 30-minute payment increments in the borough, but she says the council has not gone far enough.

Councillor Rowena Bass, leader of the Conservative group on Kingston Council, has expressed her support for Borg-Darcy's campaign.

"I am fully supporting Gia's campaign and have met with Charlotte of the Wych Elm several times," she told Nub News.

"Parking near the Wych Elm has risen threefold now costing £6.70 for two hours and they are losing business as a result – ridiculous. We should be supporting our businesses."

Cllr Bass said the Liberal Democratic administration demonstrated a lack of transparency in how the charges were introduced.

"The Lib Dems have not been transparent – I asked the council for details of the £2.5 million parking charge increase several times and was refused any breakdown. The details were only released after the budget.

"This is undemocratic and denied us the chance to properly scrutinise the Lib Dem plans and make suggestions," she added.

Since a debate over the increases took place at a Full Council meeting on 8 July, Borg-Darcy has increased her efforts, filing a Freedom of Information request into the decision-making process and a formal complaint.

"As a resident you feel like nothing and a nobody when you are being ignored," she said.

Borg-Darcy said she has emailed councillors regarding this matter but has received "no acknowledgement whatsoever".

She says that her attempts to contact the council via the 'Kingston Let's Talk' engagement platform were blocked by out-of-date contact information.

When she posted about her frustration online, she found out that the named contact on the council's website had left the council years ago.

RBK engagement have since said they will update the outdated information.

She has taken the matter to Parliament by starting a UK Government petition titled 'Set a threshold limit on parking charge increases by councils per year in the UK'.

The petition aims to spark a national conversation about how local authorities are allowed to raise revenue.

Councillor James Giles, leader of Kingston's Independent Group, has backed Borg-Darcy and criticised the council on the matter.

"We tried to put forward a motion to set up a panel to review all of this, and it was turned down by both the Lib Dems and the Conservatives," he told Nub News.

"There's a real lack of transparency in Kingston. I really feel Gia's pain because I know how bad it is as a resident. If we (the councillors) think we've got it bad, they've got it worse."

He also argued that although consultation is not a legal requirement, it does not mean it should not happen.

"The Lib Dem council say that they are benchmarking in line with other London authorities. That does not make it right. We have always done things the Kingston way," he said.

Councillor Olly Wehring, Liberal Democrat, acknowledged that the council's communications with residents could always be improved on and admitted that some aspects of the proposed parking changes were misjudged.

"There has been an element of oversight on the proposed increases around local businesses, specifically independent shops," he said.

"There is a review that the council has committed to review their proposed pay and display price increases in areas close to local businesses."

Cllr Wehring highlighted financial pressures as the driving force behind these changes, particularly the need to fund the Freedom Pass through parking revenue.

He said: "Historically, the council has had to subsidise highways and parking measures through council tax.

"That's not really sustainable or fair, because everyone has to pay council tax but not everyone gets the benefits from highways and parking measures."

Cllr Wehring said that while the council has reintroduced 30-minute payment increments, the challenge remains in balancing fairness with financial sustainability.

Currently, there is no set limit on how much councils can increase parking charges.

Borg-Darcy and others argue this allows dramatic hikes without resident input.

"I have decided to open up a petition with the UK Parliament to make sure that they create a threshold in how much councils can increase things to do with parking," Borg-Darcy said.

She now has a formal complaint lodged, an FOI request pending, and a national petition underway.

Borg-Darcy added: "Just listen to us. Listen to the people, not the way you want, by ticking a box, but really listen to people."