SHOCKED residents have been left furious after being told parking permits will be scrapped ... despite being on offer for more than 20 years.

Residents living in Station Road, Westcliff, were contacted by Southend Council last week telling them parking permits were “issued in error”.

Karl Carpenter, 64, has revealed the availability of the parking permit was one of the key reasons he moved to the area and claimed some of his neighbours have lived in the street for more than 20 years and always used a permit.

The resident currently pays £20 a year for a permit and fears he could be forced to park “miles away” from his home.

Frustrated - Karl Carpenter needs to park near home due to medical problemsFrustrated - Karl Carpenter needs to park near home due to medical problems (Image: Karl Carpenter)

The email was sent to residents in the Cliffs Pavilion resident parking zone and claimed recent audit checks revealed that the permits were issued in error.

Karl, who lives with cancer and a heart condition, fears he will face huge disruption to his daily life when his permit expires.

“I lived in Leigh before, and you couldn’t get parking there. The parking spot at this property was a key factor for me,” he said.

“I’ve got heart trouble and also have cancer at the moment, so I really need a car.”

The concerned resident has lived on Station Road for seven years and says that he has paid for a parking permit for the duration of that time.

Although parking permits will not be revoked immediately, once they expire they will not be renewed.

Karl explained that the proximity of the busy Cliffs Pavilion theatre means that finding free parking on the street can often be an impossible task.

“I just felt absolutely shocked, I didn’t sleep at all last night, he added.

“I’ve got a lot on my mind at the moment but spent yesterday evening firing off information to everyone I could think off. It’s a really bad error, and they’ve essentially been very negligent.”

Daniel Cowan, leader of the Southend Council, confirmed that some permits had been issued in error. He said: “Those residents have been informed and they will be able to use their current permits until they expire. Unfortunately, these will not be renewed. We understand the parking pressure in the area and are thoroughly reviewing the process to ensure this does not happen again, and that permits are issued only to those within the scheme.”