Parking permits in Harrow are among the cheapest in London, despite recent price increases.

Research conducted by Compare The Market found the average cost of an annual resident permit was in the bottom third when measured up against other boroughs in the capital.

At £65 a year, it was the 24th most expensive area in London to park, sandwiched between Waltham Forest (£78) and Newham (£61).

This is despite an increase across the board from April 1 this year, with the overall cost dependent on the age of the vehicle, fuel type, and number of vehicles owned.

Permits for less environmentally friendly vehicles are generally more expensive – in Harrow, for one diesel car with CO2 emissions rated over 226g/km or an engine capacity of more than 2,450cc it costs £99, up from £96 the previous year.

Cllr Varsha Parmar (Lab, Marlborough), who is responsible for the environment at Harrow Council, has previously stressed this system is not a money-making scheme but rather an attempt to “encourage residents to drive low- and zero-polluting vehicles”.

The research showed Harrow scored favourably compared to other parts of north-west London, though neighbouring Hillingdon is the only borough to offer residents free parking.

It is cheaper on average to park in Harrow than Barnet (£82), Ealing (£88), and Brent (£121).

After Hillingdon, the cheapest boroughs are Redbridge (£20) and Havering (£35) while, at the other end of the scale, those parking in the City of London (£1,420), Camden (£258), and Lambeth (£185) are hit with the heaviest charges.