Newbury people come up against gridlocked roads on a daily basis, but government figures show one in seven townsfolk don’t have a car.

A car ownership survey compiled during the last census shows that a third of town centre residents don’t own a car, while at the other end of the spectrum, one in seven in Bucklebury have four or more vehicles.

Although more than 3,000 Newbury homes have no car, many office and shop workers have taken to using sidestreets to avoid paying parking fees.

However, West Berkshire Council is about to start charging £25 for a permit so residents can park outside their own home, and will hire extra traffic wardens to enforce new residents only parking areas in and around West Mills – where 27 per cent have no car.

Top Petrolheads
Area	Car/home
Bucklebury	1.9
East Woodhay	1.9
Cold Ash	1.8
Basildon	1.8
Burghclere	1.7