People living in properties near restricted parking zones could lose their permits due to a mix-up by Barnet Council.

The council says permits were issued to some roads that were “ineligible” and it will not renew them or grant new ones when they expire – although it has not indicated how many people could be affected by the bungle.

Andy Mason, who lives in Beech Lawns, North Finchley, said he could have to walk a quarter of a mile to park his car because his permit will not be renewed.

He has had a resident permit for the North Finchley Controlled Parking Zone for the past seven years – but when he recently tried to apply online for a visitor permit, he was unable to do so.

The council subsequently told him his block of flats, which was built in the 1930s, was not eligible for parking permits.

Mr Mason said: “There are something like 26 or 28 parking spaces and 40 flats. It wouldn’t surprise me if there are some with more than one vehicle.

“If I had visitors or someone coming to do work, I used to give them a visitor’s voucher, and the council are saying it can’t be done anymore.

“The permit is going to be excluded from the end of October. At that point, if I can’t park in my own building driveway, I could be driving a quarter of a mile to where it is unregulated and walking back to my own place.”

Mr Mason, who is a violin tutor, said he also used the permit when parking close to some of his pupils’ homes.

He said it was “outrageous” that he had fewer rights than people living in nearby houses, who are able to buy resident and visitor permits for the controlled parking zone.

A spokesperson for Barnet Council said: “Beech Lawns is a private, gated road and as such is not included in the legal orders that grant parking permits for the public highway.

“As part of a move to a new parking permit system we have checked that all permits applied for previously were for eligible roads.

“We have found in a few circumstances that they were not and as such it would not be appropriate to grant new or renewed permits for ineligible locations. We are allowing these permits to run to their expiry to give people time to adjust to the withdrawal.”