Parking policy consultation

Why we are updating the parking policy

To improve air quality

Our updated policy will help to make the borough greener by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality.

Cars are a significant source of air pollution, and bad air quality disproportionately affects our poorer residents as people living in the most deprived areas are exposed to the highest levels of air pollution.

Having recently declared a climate emergency, we want to help regulate the use of cars through our parking policy. The updated policy would mean that people with low emission vehicles would pay less, while those who own the most polluting vehicles will pay the most.

This will link with our Healthy Streets initiatives and will make it easier for residents to walk, cycle or use public transport.

To improve parking in the borough

Managing parking can ensure:

• spaces are used appropriately
• local parking is dealt with in a fair and consistent way.

Who can take part in the consultation

We want to hear from everyone – not just car owners and drivers, but people who don’t drive as well.

Who would be affected by the new policy?

• Car owners and drivers who live in the borough.
• Blue badge holders who drive.
• Local business owners.
• Those who drive in to the borough.

Even if you’re not going to be affected by the new policy we still want to hear what you think.

The proposals

There are six main proposals:

• To introduce banded charging for resident and business parking permits based on the CO2 emissions from the vehicle in question.
• To introduce an additional surcharge to the cost of parking permits for diesel vehicles.
• To provide 10 hours of free visitor parking credit to all households that currently have at least one paid or Blue Badge annual resident parking permit. This will replace the free book of 10 one-hour visitor parking permits.
• To amend the hourly rate for parking to £1.60 for cash and cashless payments.
• To make changes to the Penalty Charge Notice bands in the borough.
• To review disabled parking bays. We plan to:
  • make all disabled parking bays mandatory and enforceable, meaning if you park there without a Blue Badge you will receive a parking ticket
  • change the application criteria for disabled parking bays so they are based on an assessment of medical need by a qualified person and an assessment of the location to see if a disabled bay can be added.

Increases to parking permit charges

The last increase to parking permit charges was in 2011. The new proposal would introduce charges for resident and business parking permits based on a vehicle’s CO2 emissions. As the vehicles would be banded in line with the Government’s car tax banding, there would be an increase for some, a reduction for others, and some cases where the parking permit charge would remain the same.

Parking permits for disabled residents with a Blue Badge who drive, would continue to be free.

All parking permits for diesel vehicles would also be subject to a £50 surcharge.

What happens next

After the consultation closes:

• we will look at all the responses and produce a draft report to reflect the results of the consultation
• the draft report will be reviewed by the Sustainable Development Select Committee in the autumn
• the draft report will be reviewed again
• a final report will be expected to go to the Mayor and Cabinet in autumn or winter 2019.

We will publish any decisions taken, alongside any relevant documentation, on our website.

View the policy and take part in the consultation

A draft of the proposed policy can be found online and at local libraries.

Read the full Parking Policy Update report.