Alas, not here in East Devon – only in Lyme Regis, where the council has announced that two of its main car parks will be free to residents between 1 November 2014 and 27 March 2015 between the hours of 9.30 – 4.30 pm.

To get their free parking permits, residents have to provide a current council tax bill and a car registration document showing the same address within the town’ss boundary.

Think of all those people who will now “pop to the shops” in Lyme Regis and all that Christmas shopping that will now be done locally.

Chances of this happening in East Devon? Where residents parking in Sidmouth has just gone up 330%? Pass.