Regular readers will know that my heart seldom bleeds for those County Hall bureaucrats whose sole purpose for existing on this planet is to make our lives more miserable.

But even I began to feel sorry for them when I read this latest piece of “guidance” from Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, who this week is due to launch a fresh assault on the way we encourage motorists into our town centres.

“Parking charges should be appropriate and not undermine the vitality of town centres and local shops, and parking enforcement should be proportionate.

“Draconian Town Hall parking policies and street clutter can make driving into town centres unnecessarily stressful and actually create more congestion because of lack of places to park,” Mr Pickles said.

“Creating more spaces in town and city centres where there is no room for them is simply not the way to draw more shoppers “Anti-car measures are driving motorists into the arms of internet retailers and out of town superstores, taking their custom with them. Town Halls need to ditch their anti-car dogma. Making it easier to park will help support local shops, local jobs and tourism.”

I don’t know if Mr Pickles has ever been to America, where everybody drives everywhere and they look at you as if you are mad, if you suggest actually walking into a town centre. Shopping is nearly always in a “mall” – and the USA is the world centre for on-line retailing.

Mr Pickles’s latest “guidance” sounds popular – but where is the evidence that it will actually work?