Should you pay more for parking if you have a big car?

But what do we actually mean by bigger?

In Haringey, where the price of a permit already varies depending on your car’s emissions, the council proposed adding a 5% surcharge for medium vehicles 4-4.49m long, and a 10% surcharge for large vehicles over 4.5m long.

To put that in context, a Kia Picanto would count as a small car, a Volvo V40 or BMW 1 Series medium, and an MG5 or Land Rover Discovery large.

Haringey’s public consultation has just closed. The council says no decisions have been taken on any of the proposals.

In Belgium, Brussels has a length-based system in place in certain parts of the city. A residential permit costs €25 (£21) per year but if your vehicle is over 4.9m long you pay an additional charge of €120 per year.

In Cardiff, weight is the factor under consideration, whether vehicles over 2.4 tonnes revenue weight should pay more, although no price has been suggested. Revenue weight refers to the maximum weight of a vehicle, including passengers, fuel and luggage.

In Autocar’s list of the best family SUVs, external, four out of the top five would exceed this limit – the Kia EV9, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Volvo XC60.

Car weight is the model used in some French cities. Earlier this year, Parisians voted to triple parking rates for cars weighing 1.6 tonnes or more to €18 an hour in the inner city, although this does not apply to residents.