nae worry's chief 
On a serious note: This having to be their in person is ridiculous nonsense.
I had a similar problem here in SW London...I needed parking permits for a few of the areas I covered. I used to be able to send off for them with a cheque enclosed. Now I have to go to Twickenham town hall in person to get a book of permit... and it's 30 max! Can't be arsed with that malarky!!!
Upshot is the 100 or so houses I used to clean for in that area are now trying to find another ( more local) window cleaner.
That's one reason why I'd never go licenced if it ever came down here...stuff it would be my attitude...I'll take my chances!
I can sometimes get similar parking problems around my way. There are a number of parking zones (A - G I think). I pay for a yearly permit in my own zone so no problem servicing customers in that arera. It can get tricky in other zones though because I'm not entitled to a permit. Customers are supposed to supply a 20p (2 hour) visitor's ticket for me but that just doesn't happen if they are out. Luckily, the wardens I've met so far are fine about it but it would only take one jobsworth to make my situation unviable.
I have actually stopped taking new work in the controlled parking zones now except for the one where I live unless they are prepared to obtain a book of visitor tickets for me (for which I'm happy to pay them).
Literally in the area where I actually live there's no permits...parking is hard to find but you just take your chances! But in Mortlake...down the road (which falls under Richmond council) there's no parking for non-residents until 11am.What's more annoying is that there are no meters even...I wouldn't mind feeding a few £ into one to allow me to work...but no...no meters...you either live there and have a permit or you don't park until 11am :
Now on the basis that I do an area per day...(this works because of the high concentration of houses where I live) an 11am start doesn't appeal! And so reluctantlly although I had 100ish customers there I don't do that area any more.
So if Richmond Council had the cheek to also require me to buy a licence to work that area (which I now don't) what do you think my reply would be?
Sex and travel springs to mind
