Will councils antagonise residents by charging additional for parking permits for the most polluting cars? As long as it's under the guise of traffic management, it seems that councils can accuse what they like.
Driveways, garages - even forecourts, if your car is little enough - could soon have more impact on the value of your home than a Small bone kitchen or converted attic, following a staged swing in the way local councils across Britain are now milking the motorist.
It started three years ago when Richmond Borough Council in wealthy south-west London announced plans to accuse residents up to three times more for a parking permit if they had a bigger-engine car.
Few believed the scheme would be approved; the very idea that a council would levy a high fee on a stationary car was ridiculous according to motoring organisations.
Other observers believed it improbable that local politicians would alienate voters by penalizing bigger families - frequently those from ethnic minorities - who are forced to rely on bigger cars.
They were wrong on both counts and reckoned without the steely decide of Richmond council. By April 2007 the west London authority had introduced the scheme to the fury of many in the borough.
Overnight, the cost of parking - apart from for those with driveways - went from a maximum of £100 to £300, or a staggering £450 for a second vehicle.
Driveways, garages - even forecourts, if your car is little enough - could soon have more impact on the value of your home than a Small bone kitchen or converted attic, following a staged swing in the way local councils across Britain are now milking the motorist.
It started three years ago when Richmond Borough Council in wealthy south-west London announced plans to accuse residents up to three times more for a parking permit if they had a bigger-engine car.
Few believed the scheme would be approved; the very idea that a council would levy a high fee on a stationary car was ridiculous according to motoring organisations.
Other observers believed it improbable that local politicians would alienate voters by penalizing bigger families - frequently those from ethnic minorities - who are forced to rely on bigger cars.
They were wrong on both counts and reckoned without the steely decide of Richmond council. By April 2007 the west London authority had introduced the scheme to the fury of many in the borough.
Overnight, the cost of parking - apart from for those with driveways - went from a maximum of £100 to £300, or a staggering £450 for a second vehicle.
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