Parking permit scheme to cost residents £70 a year

The permits would be limited to one per person and two per household, Oxfordshire County Council said

A council is introducing a new parking permit scheme that will cost residents £70 a year, per car.

Oxfordshire County Council said residents and visitors near the railway station in Didcot, Oxfordshire, would have to apply for the permits.

Haydon Road, Lydalls Road, Station Road, Cronshaw Close and White Leys Close would be affected.

Councillor Andrew Gant said the scheme was brought in to protect parking for residents.

Andrew Gant said the scheme was "a well-tried system" that worked "extremely well"

In a letter sent to residents in December, the council said there would be a limit of one permit per person and two per household.

This is in order to share the limited spaces available amongst all residents fairly, it explained.

The council added that works were "imminent" to make the necessary changes to parking signs and road markings to bring the scheme into effect.

Mr Gant, cabinet member for transport management, said the purpose of the new parking permits was "to safeguard the ability of residents to find a parking space near their home".

"You are paying for a scheme that allows you to park by making it illegal for, in this case, commuters who might be trying to get to the railway station to park outside your house," he said.

"It works, it's a well-tried system and it works extremely well."

Mr Gant added it had "nothing to do with raising money for the county council".

"These schemes are only allowed to raise money to pay for their own operation," he said.

"And that's what you get, that is the trade-off.