Calls to charge district council staff for parking at Knowle were wholly rejected by cabinet members who said the sums ‘don’t add up’.

Councillor Roger Giles said a nominal fee could help raise funds in a time of financial difficulty and could pay for the authority HQ’s refurbishment.

But his colleagues panned the plans, saying neighbouring streets would be ‘gridlocked’ with drivers trying to avoid the charge, while a proposal to remove permits from honorary aldermen saw him dubbed a ‘scrooge’.

Cllr Giles said a fee of a pound a day could earn the authority up to £70,000, and bring it in line with other employers, such as the Met Office.

But the amount was dismissed as ‘peanuts’ when administrative charges were factored in, and said to be unnecessary when parking is at less of a premium than at an city location.