THOUSANDS of car owners in Oxford are to be asked whether they want to pay for the parking permits they get free.

Those living in 26,000 homes in parking zones across the city will be questioned as part of consultation into plans by Oxfordshire County Council to levy a £40-per-vehicle charge.

Those affected by the scheme will receive a letter on Monday outlining why the authority is proposing charges and be given until July 20 to respond before a decision is taken in September.

However, opponents said the Conservative-controlled county council "had already made its decision".

Residents living in 22 existing zones and four new ones including Headington, Blackbird Leys, Jericho and Summertown would be charged an annual levy of £40 a permit (for up to two cars), £80 for a third and £120 for a fourth.

This would generate an income of £500,000.

City councillors say the proposals are not consistent with the recent decision to allow free evening and Sunday parking on Oxford's streets.

The county is expected to lose income of £500,000 as a result.

Green city and county councillor Sushila Dhall said: "Because the council has lost £500,000 through free evening on-street parking they have a sense of making that up somehow. I feel as unco-operative as any resident. It's going to be very unpopular.

"If commuters are parking free, I don't think residents should pay to make this up.

"I suspect the consultation is a foregone conclusion. They consult because they have a legal duty to do so, not because they want to listen to what anyone says."

Permits for visitors would cost 60p each.

Residents in the four 'event-day-only' parking schemes around the Kassam Stadium in Blackbird Leys would pay an annual fee of £10 a year with no charge for visitor permits.

County council cabinet member for transport, David Robertson, said: "If I said, 'would you like to pay parking charges yes or no?' people would say no. But if you talk about some of the benefits and enforcement, some people will have a different view.

"If I listened to objections all the time we would not do anything."

The county council maintains the reason for charging is to cover the costs of administering and enforcing the zones.

Richard Dix, the county council's assistant head of transport said: "Resident parking in Oxford runs at a loss and the proposed charges are designed to make good this loss."

But figures in the 2004/05 parking account show County Hall paid Control Plus £1.3m to enforce parking and spent £438,000 on "other costs", while it received £1.6m from pay and display fees and £1.4m from fixed penalties.

County Hall also points to the fact many other towns and cities across the country and county charge for similar parking schemes.