The High Court has ruled Barnet Borough Council’s controversial use of controlled parking zones is unlawful.

In the landmark decision today, Mrs Justice Lang DBE said the council does not have the authority to charge residents for parking in order to raise money for other transport purposes.

The court case is a culmination of a two-year battle carried out by East Finchley resident David Attfield who launched proceedings after the council raised the cost of a household's first parking permit from £40 a year to £100.

The ruling is the first successful legal challenge against the level of parking charges set by a local authority and could see thousands of Barnet residents reclaim millions of pounds in unlawfully collected charges.