Paying for the privilege to park outside your own front door

I know it’s de rigueur in many cities across Britain but it never ceases to rankle that councils charge people to park outside their own homes.

And paying for the privilege of a parking spot is no guarantee of a space. When I lived in Hampstead, I would often arrive home to find the street chock-a-block with cars, leaving me no choice but to park some considerable distance from my front door.

New research has revealed just how much councils pocket from residents’ parking permits. According to the RAC, which surveyed almost 1,800 motorists and obtained details of council receipts from permits using the Freedom of Information Act, councils have almost doubled the money they collect from householders over the past five years.

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In the capital, Haringey council’s revenue rose by 90 per cent from just over £1 million in 2010-11 to £1.95