THE council has received more than £1.1m in income from controlled parking zones (CPZ) permits in the last two years, the Guardian can reveal.

The authority has raked in £877,840 from 13,607 residents' permits and a further £247,331 from 475 business parking permits since April 2007, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show.

In Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs), only motorists with a resident's or business permit can park.

CPZs were initially set up near transport hubs, purportedly to deter commuters from parking in residential streets.

But critics say the zones merely move the parking problem to nearby streets, creating a need for more zones and raising more revenue for the local authority.

Since October 2007, resident permits in Waltham Forest have been priced according to the vehicle's carbon dioxide emissions.

Annual permits for a household's first vehicle range from £22.50 to £90 depending on engine size.