Brent Council has done a U-turn on plans to hike visitor parking charges by up to 200 per cent

The town hall binned the controversial proposals which would have seen the price surge from £1.45 per day to £4.50.

The cost of an annual visitors permit would have also been increased from £110 to £165, a rise of 50pc.

The increases would have generated an extra £795,000 a year for the council.

Cllr Eleanor Southwood, the lead environment councillor at Brent Council, had justified the increases saying it would deter commuters from hogging much-needed spaces.

However members of Queens Park Residents Association (QPRA) had strongly opposed the plans.

Robin Sharp, from QPRA, told the Times: “We welcome this rethink.

“Visitor parking represents only a small part of the problem in this area and should not be singled out for a disproportionate increase. “We pointed out that this parking charge won’t solve the problem of congestion as there was a whole range of issues making it hard for residents with annual passes to park near their own houses.

“They include permits issued to schools and to businesses, for builders’ skips as well as parking congestion and abuses around parents collecting children from the five schools in Salusbury Road.”

Cllr Southwood told the Times she had “listened carefully to lots of people on this topic over recent months”.

She added: “There’s nothing at all unusual with us delaying final decisions in order to take a fresh look at the bigger picture

“I look forward to hearing from a wide range of people and organisations over the coming months.”

Related link: Visitor parking in Brent could be hiked by 200pc to raise £795k extra for the council