"GREEN" charges for Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) will be introduced in October.

A three-tiered system will see charges doubled for cars with high CO2 emissions, and halved for more environmentally-friendly vehicles.

Waltham Forest Council's cabinet approved the scheme unanimously earlier this month.

Cars registered on or after March 1, 2001 will be banded depending on how many grams of CO2 they emit per km, while older cars will be judged by the size of their engine.

During last week's cabinet meeting Cllr Naz Sarkar welcomed the move, saying: "I would like to advance CPZs in as many parts of the borough as possible."

No-one from the council was able to comment on whether this was council policy, although a council spokesman has previously told the Guardian that areas around stations are the priority.

A report considered by the cabinet recommended the policy be approved in order to combat climate change and improve air quality.

It also stated that any profits would be spent on road traffic schemes.

Consultation found that while more than three quarters of residents agreed they would have to change their lifestyles to reduce energy use, 59 per cent said they would oppose this scheme.

Meanwhile 69 per cent said the lower band was not enough to make them buy a low-emission car, and 70 per cent said they would not be prepared to pay twice as much for a vehicle with high CO2 emissions.

The new charges were condemned by the council's Conservative group leader Matt Davis, who said: "This is all stick and no carrot. It has nothing to do with the environment. It is driven by income and Clyde Loakes' personal, visceral hatred of the motor car."

He said banding older cars according to the size of their engine was "unscientific" and would disproportionately affect poorer residents who are more likely to own them.

A BAND A permit will cover cars emitting up to 120g of CO2 per km, or for cars registered before March 2001, with engines up to 900cc, and will cost £22.50 per year. Typical cars for this band include Smart cars and petrol-electric hybrids.

Cars with engines of between 901cc and two litres will fall into Band B, and will be charged the current CPZ rate of £45 per year. For newer vehicles, the range will be between 121 and 185 grams of CO2 emitted per km, and will include the Ford Ka, the Vauxhall Vectra and the Peugeot 307.

The highest charge will be for Band C vehicles, which includes all older cars with engines bigger than two litres, and all newer cars, such as most 4x4 vehicles, sports cars and luxury saloons, which emit 186 or more grams of CO2 per km.

In Band B, a second permit per household will cost £80, and a third, £105. These rates will also halve for Band A and double for Band C.