According to officials, the permit can only be used for one visit per day for up to three hours at a time. 

Councillor Helen Campbell, lead for Car Parking, claimed the new Access Permit was a "fair price” as she praised the “innovative” move by the council.

Helen said: “There is no statutory duty placed on us to provide such a permit and I am not aware of any Councils that do, so this is quite an innovation.

“We are an inclusive Council, responsive to the needs of all our community, and the permit is a demonstration of that.

“Many of our older citizens are more than happy to pay by contactless cards or apps, but there are some who struggle with these modern methods.

“The Access Permit will help by providing them with a more traditional way of paying. The price of £190 per year is designed to reflect a fair price for an average driver over a year’s use.”

The new Access Permit comes ahead of the introduction of new parking charges across the region from next week. 

St Albans City and District Council said an additional 243 bays in Harpenden and 70 in St Albans will face charges with costs set to be introduced from Monday 17 February.

Officials will allow road users to park free for 30 minutes once per day with fees applying after this cut-off.

Drivers will have to pay £1.25 for an additional 30 minutes with drivers forced to pay £3.75, to stop for two hours.