A council has handed out around £16,000 in refunds after overcharging on parking permits for five years.

Ipswich Borough Council (IBC) admitted to illegally charging people with Zone 1 parking permits £5 extra a year and £60 for a second permit between 2009 and 2014.

The fee for Zone 1 permits was increased from £30 a year to £35 in 2007 for a trial period of two years under an experimental traffic order (ETO).

However, once the two years were up, the council continued to charge the increased rate but this was no longer covered under the traffic order. The issue was discussed at an executive meeting of the borough council on September 14 last year and it was agreed to make the ETO permanent and to refund all those who were previously overcharged.

Zone 1 parking bays are located in roads in and around the town centre, they are: Back Hamlet, Fore Hamlet, Grove Lane, Hill House Road, Kings Avenue, Oxford Road, St Helen’s Street and Spring Road.

A spokesman for IBC said the council had written to all households that had been affected by the mistake.

The council has refunded around 160 people since January, and anyone who held a Zone 1 parking permit between April 24, 2009 and August 13, 2014 is encouraged to apply for some money back.

However, the spokesman added: “Everyone who we think was owed money has been paid.”

To apply for a refund, visit: www.ipswich.gov.uk/content/residents’-parking-zone-1-refunds-2009-2014