A resident has argued parking permit charges should not be based on car engine size, and said he is baffled by the council’s charging policy.

Nana Osei, of Stanley Road in Walthamstow, said he is unhappy with the £140 annual parking permit charge he was quoted by Waltham Forest Council earlier this year for his Volkswagen Golf.

Mr Osei said he disagrees with the council’s charging policy and said he has not paid for a parking permit for the last two years. He has instead tried to find other parking spots elsewhere.

He said: “The council think they’re right.

“The charge means you are needing to find spaces on your road nearby, or in areas that don’t have the restriction.

“It’s unnecessary hustle, when you go shopping, you are walking a greater distance.

“Then there’s the not knowing if your car in safe. You just hope upon hope that nothing has happened to your car over night.”

The national Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) charges drivers road tax by engine size, so owners of cars with bigger engines must already pay more tax.

Cllr Clyde Loakes, deputy council leader and cabinet member for the environment, said: “The council introduced parking permits with charges based on vehicle emissions over 10 years ago and following consultation with residents this approach was modified to follow the DVLA’s recommended emissions banding criteria in 2016.

“The information regarding our parking permit charges and how they are applied is freely available on the council website and has been since the policy was introduced.

“A permit is needed to park in any area covered by a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ). These zones mean that parking spaces cannot be taken up by shoppers or commuters who do not live in the area, to benefit residents who live in area.”

The deputy leader added that in Mr Osei’s case, he has not held a valid parking permit for the Stanley Road area since May 2017.

He said: “Since the resident last applied for a permit we have moved away from our definition of emission banding to use the DVLA’s classification when deciding on permit charges, to reduce any confusion for residents. Charges are higher for vehicles that produce more harmful emissions.”

The cabinet member added that a number of London councils already take engine size into account when applying parking permit charges and others are moving towards it.