Company car and van drivers will get 10 minutes' grace before being fined if they stay too long in council run car parks in England.

The 10-minute rule is just one of a range of changes announced by the Government, which are expected to take effect later this month.

The new restrictions also include a crackdown on the use of CCTV cars issuing automatic fines.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: “We are ending the war on drivers who simply want to go about their daily business.

"For too long parking rules have made law-abiding motorists feel like criminals, and caused enormous damage to shops and businesses.

"Over-zealous parking enforcement undermines our town centres and costs councils more in the long term.”

The changes also include:                  

• Guidance for councils reminding them they are banned from using parking to generate profit.
• A right for residents and businesses to demand - by a petition - that a council reviews parking in their area.
• New powers for parking adjudicators so they can hold councils to account.
• Protection to stop drivers being fined after parking at out-of-order meters.

Almost two thirds of fleets have reported an increase in the number of parking tickets their drivers have received, according to a Fleet News poll.

Just one in six (15%) said they had seen the fines they incur fall, while one in five (20%) reported no change.

The results reflect research conducted by Lex Autolease, which showed parking fines increased by almost a quarter (23%) to 58,089 last year.