Local authority rules restricting homeowners from renting out their driveways for short-term parking have been eased after the intervention of local government secretary Eric Pickles.

And that has led to an agency that puts drive owners in touch with motorists to call for more property owners to take advantage of the easing of restrictions.

Mr Pickles spoke out after homeowners said they had been harassed by local authorities when they tried to rent out space in front of their houses.

He said: “Renting out your driveway is a great example of grassroots entrepreneurship. Town halls shouldn’t be stopping hard-working people from making a bit of extra cash from their homes.

“We have cut petty state regulations to make renting out your driveway even easier. This is helping to provide more low-cost parking spaces for commuters, tourists and shoppers.”

Parking website Parkatmyhouse.com has 21 addresses listed in Ipswich, 46 in Colchester, and 10 in Bury St Edmunds. There are also driveways registered in other towns and villages in the area.

Company founder Anthony Eskinazi said: “This new guidance is a triumph of common sense.

“Forcing homeowners to go through the expensive and complicated process of seeking planning permission to rent their spaces was heavy-handed and frankly silly: a house does not stop being a house and become a car park when a parking space is rented.

“By the same logic, everyone renting out a spare room should apply for planning permission to turn their house into a hotel.

“This new guidance will pave the way for thousands more property owners to join the 18,000 who already rent out their driveways.”