Eric Pickles appears to have done something sensible

Congestion would also be helped if homeowners with cars used their own parking. I recently visited a friend who was complaining about her neighbours. They have three cars and a campervan. They also have off road parking for three vehicles, including the camper van. They have just gone on holiday in the campervan leaving their three cars parked in the road outside their house and the houses of two neighbours, one of which is my friend's, the neighbours off road parking area is vehicle free.

My friend also has ample parking. Their car is always parked off the road and even if I just call in for a cup of coffee I will park off the road and on the drive.

Would it be draconian to suggest that nobody should be allowed to own a car unless they had access to (and used) off-street parking? The street where I live is lined with parked cars, some of them owned by people about a quarter of a mile away.

A bit tough, Anno, on people living in Victorian housing estates in former industrial and mining towns, where many properties don't even have front gardens.