RESIDENTS' groups are warning that a controversial plan to charge people to park outside their homes could spawn an ugly "concrete jungle" of driveways across Southampton.
They fear that residents could destroy their gardens to escape new residents' zones and charges for all permits set out in a new parking policy agreed by city council leaders.
Now the City of Southampton Society, a preservation pressure group, has urged the Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition-led council to rethink the policy.
Jack Candy, from the society, said: "It's a question of quality of environment. I think to encourage people by any policy to destroy their front gardens would be terrible.
"The whole policy needs to be thoroughly reviewed.
"Hopefully there may be a change of local government administration in May."
The issue was raised by the Residents' Action Group which is based in the Polygon, one of the 17 areas of the city with a residents' parking zone.
The group's transport spokesman Jane Beaulieu said: "I for one will destroy my front garden in order to avoid yet another costly charge to an already overpriced council tax bill.
"The Polygon is and will become a concrete jungle, and not good for the environment to boot."
Chairman Lorraine Barter said that despite being a non-motorist she was concerned about the implications.
She said: "I am worried that the charges will cause even more citizens in the residents' parking zones to knock down their front garden walls and concrete over the gardens to make hard standing for their cars."
The group warned that the council may need to change permitted development rights to prevent it from happening.
Labour and Lib Dem councillors last month agreed the parking policy to charge for all residents' permits without even guaranteeing a space - the first permit is currently free.
It sparked fury from residents and led to the Daily Echo's Parking Mad campaign demanding a U-turn.
Labour council leader June Bridle later pledged not to bring in new charges for at least 12 months - after May local elections - but was accused of trying to fool voters.
She refused to scrap the policy though and said that she would look at other ways to raise the £342,000 the council says it needs to make the residents' parking scheme "self-funding" - also part of the parking policy.
It could mean residents paying more for second permits, Cllr Bridle said.
Councillor Jill Baston, Cabinet member for transport, said residents shouldn't be "alarmed" because there was no commitment to implement specific measures in the parking policy. But she also refused to amend it.
