To sign our online petition calling for a council U turn or to download a petition for yourself, click here. Southampton residents have condemned the latest twist in the city's plans to charge them to park outside their own homes.

Yesterday the Daily Echo revealed that even though residents may be forced to fork out for a permit to park outside their house they may still have to fight to a space.

The plans have already been condemned as "disgraceful" and "unfair" by opposition groups and residents' association leaders.

Now has Daily Echo launched a Parking Mad campaign calling on city residents to join the fight for a U-turn.

The councillor behind the plans has provoked more outrage by confirming there should be no guarantee of a spaces for every resident even if they buy a permit.

The head of the city's residents' associations, Peter Wirgman, who estimates the new permits could cost residents £50 a year, said many were already "incensed".

The latest revelation would only add to the upset, he said. "If we've got someone living in a terraced house in the Polygon and would like to park outside their home, not only will they have to pay for a permit, on top of that if they are not guaranteed a space, that's only going to further upset them."

He added: "It seems to be imposing a charge on the people most unable to pay."

The city council's Labour and Lib Dem Cabinet gave the go-ahead to start charging residents to park outside their own homes as part of a new parking policy.

Under the radical shake-up residents will have to pay for all parking permits - the first is currently free.

While the council will curb new city centre parking zones it wants to mark out more paid-for zones elsewhere.

City centre residents will be encouraged to use parking spaces such as multi-storey car parks which cost £2 a night.

Lib Dem councillor Jill Baston said: "We need to recognise there is a cost to providing parking and there are more and more cars on the road.

"It does cost the council to implement residents' parking zones."

She added: "It's more difficult where there is limited space. But there is no way we can magically increase space on the streets.

"It's not possible that all the time there will be a space. It is problematic but we shall try to solve it in various ways."

To sign our online petition calling for a council U turn or to download a petition for yourself, click here.