Concerns regarding a new parking policy that might cost homeowners £70 a year to just park their cars outside of their homes have been raised by locals. To reduce the amount of cars parked in residential areas, residents of Didcot may need to pay for a new permit that would create a restricted parking zone (CPZ). The goal of the programme is to reduce the number of individuals who park in residential areas when they visit a well-known rail station and shopping mall. Oxfordshire County Council said the new scheme will prioritise the needs of residents to protect them from people taking their parking spaces when leaving their vehicles to visit other attractions. Similar schemes can be seen around the country as seen by a number of boroughs in London including Lambeth, Tower Hamlets, Camden and Greenwich. Residents have expressed their anger in response to the new scheme, describing the measures as “anti-car” and a “car owner cash cow scheme”. One resident, Trevor Ockwell, commented on the screen, telling Oxford Mail: “Glad I don’t live there. “What if you have multiple cars, and why should residents pay to park? It is nothing but another tax. Oxfordshire demonstrates how much it hates the car again.” Households living in streets involved in the boundary can apply for permits allowing them to park their vehicle in the streets and anyone without a valid permit will face a fine. The zone in Didcot applies to Cronshaw Close, Haydon Road, Lydalls Road, Station Road and White Leys Close. All household owners can apply for a permit, not just those who own vehicles. A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council told GB News: “Controlled parking zones (CPZs) are intended to prioritise residents’ parking needs. “They discourage commuters, shoppers, and other overspill parking from taking up spaces on residential streets. “Money raised from permits goes directly towards enforcement – they are not money-making schemes for the council.” According to the County Council, a planning application has been submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council to replace a nearby temporary use car park with a number of residential units. If it is granted, users of the current car park, including commuters using Didcot Parkway Railway Station, will park on residential roads, prompting the council to introduce a CPZ to prevent this from happening. The spokesperson added: “CPZs are tailored to the needs of the individual area, including the timings of restrictions. They are monitored by officers and can be amended where required. “The restrictions only apply to parking on the highway, so do not affect off-street parking on driveways or garages.” In Didcot, a permit costs £70 a year per vehicle for the first two vehicles, while residents aged 70 or over will not be charged for the second allocation. Over a 12-month period, each eligible resident is entitled to 50 days’ worth of Visitors’ Parking Permits with the first 25 free of charge following a second set of 25 charged at a rate of £27.50.