The cost of parking permits for some electric car owners in Kent is set to more than double - while charges will drop for the most polluting vehicles.

Stunned environmental campaigners have described the move by Dover District Council (DDC) as “silly” and “strange”.

But officials say the current banding system - which sees owners of zero-emission vehicles pay the least - is failing to encourage people to buy eco-friendly cars.

DDC’s cabinet have voted instead to switch to a flat rate of £105 for on-street fees for most parking permit zones in the district from January 13.

This means the annual charge for a zero-emission electric car such as a Nissan Leaf or Toyota Prius is rocketing by 162% from £40.

Yet the fee for a car producing CO2 emissions of 130 grams per kilometre or more - which was previously in the highest band - is dropping £15 from £120.

Cllr Mike Eddy, a Green Party member for both Deal and Walmer Town Councils, said: “I think it's silly. People with the least polluting cars should be given some kind of benefit.

“I think this is discouraging people from moving from petrol and diesel to electric vehicles.

“It is unhelpful to the whole planet, let alone individual drivers.”

Cllr Nick Shread, a Green member for Dover Town Council, said: “It is rather strange and shows a lack of foresight.

“But it is in line with government changes where electric vehicles are no longer exempt from tax, which we don’t agree with.”

The previous Conservative government set a target for 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in Great Britain to be zero emission by 2030, increasing to 100% by 2035. Labour wants to bring the complete “phase out” forward to 2030.

DDC launched an emissions-based charging trial for permits in 2021, hoping it would “incentivise the use of low emission vehicles as part of the Climate Change Agenda”, a report presented to cabinet says.

But since then there has only been an increase of 20 permits for cars with zero CO2 emissions and 14 for those producing 1 to 50 g/km, such as hybrid vehicles.

The officer’s report says: “It therefore appears that the differential charging has not had a significant impact on decision-making for vehicle purchases.

“Following the trial period for emissions-based permits it is now considered that differential charging for resident permit holders alone is insufficient to influence the public’s decision-making on vehicle purchasing. “

The report says banding could be more effective if also introduced in public pay & display areas - but this is not possible with the existing machines in the council’s car parks.

However, this is “something that could be considered in the future”.

Council officers estimate that with the new flat rate about 185 residents with permits will have to pay a higher charge, 896 will pay less and 980 will have the same charge but increased by inflation. There will be no further increase from 2025/26.

The average CO2 emissions per car in the UK is 132 g/km, according to the Department for Transport. This has fallen from a high of 169.5 g/km in 2008.

The most polluting vehicles are luxury petrol cars, such as a Bugatti Chiron, which has CO2 emissions of 571 g/km.

Driver Joe Mulroe, who lives in Albert Road, Dover, one of the streets that will be affected, told KentOnline he does not believe vehicle emissions should determine how much people pay for parking permits.

“Some people won't have the money to buy a lower emissions car,” he said.

Daniel Boyce, who lives in Shipmans Way in Dover, says he thinks parking permit systems are “disgusting”.

“People are already having to pay for things like tax for their cars,” he said.

“I'm lucky it hasn't come to my street yet but in Folkestone they have streets with permit parking all over the place. I feel sorry for the people that do have to pay.”

A picture of a council notice detailing the changes sparked a strong reaction on social media.

One person wrote: “Another tax on the people who can probably least afford it. Street parking tax is literal highway robbery.”

Another described it as “flaming daylight extortion”.

In most places the sliding scale charge has been £40 a year for zero emissions (band A vehicles), £80 for CO2 emissions of one to 50 (band B), £100 for 51 to 130 (band C), and £120 for 130-plus (band D). All will pay £105 a year from January 13.

For second permits, the current respective costs of £65, £95, £125 and £145 are changing to a flat rate of £130.