People may be asked to sign away parking permits rights

Under the current planning legislation developers can be given permission to build flats without any parking spaces but the district council is not able to stop the owners from applying for parking permits.

Lindsay Frost, head of planning at Lewes District Council, revealed the authority was investigating the legal possibility of stopping owners of car-free homes from having on-street parking permits.

Mr Frost told businessmen and women at a meeting of Lewes Chamber of Commerce last week: 'Legally we can't do that (refusing parking permits) by simply saying it's a condition of planning permission occupiers should not have an on-street parking permit.

'However, in Brighton occupiers were asked to sign a legal agreement foregoing access to a parking permit.'

Mr Frost went on to say the district council was taking legal advice on the issue.

Following the meeting the Express asked Lewes District Council to explain exactly how it was tackling the issue but a spokeswoman refused to comment.

David Quinn, president of Lewes Chamber of Commerce and owner of Barbican Carpets on School Hill, said: 'If somebody buys a flat which doesn't have parking permission they shouldn't expect to have an on-street parking permit.

'It could be a problem for the town if there's a surge in people wanting parking permits and cars clogging up the streets.

'Perhaps we should look at having a mixed-use multi-storey car park for residents and visitors.'