It has been listed among ‘key priorities for the council’Traffic heading into Bristol city centre (Image: BristolLive)

Labour and the Conservatives refused to back a new five-year vision for Green-led Bristol City Council’s top priorities because it includes a commitment to introduce a workplace parking levy.

An updated “corporate strategy” – the authority’s top-level document that shapes its main policies by setting out five overarching objectives up to 2030 – was approved at the annual general full council meeting by 33-0 votes and 22 abstentions, with the Greens and Lib Dems in favour.

The Tories and Labour said they could not support it because of the inclusion of a parking charge for employers who let staff park at work currently for free, while the Conservatives also feared the strategy hinted at an expansion of the Clean Air Zone.

Cllr Rob Logan (Labour, Filwood) told the meeting on Tuesday, May 13: “We were expecting to support it.

“The reason we’re not going to is that it smuggles within it a specific commitment to a workplace parking levy.

“We don’t think the investigation has been done to make that commitment as clearly as it’s made out today, so we’re going to abstain.”

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Conservative group leader Cllr Mark Weston (Henbury & Brentry) said there were some excellent priorities out of the five broad themes in the plan, including an emphasis on SEND education and supporting residents’ health and wellbeing.

But he said: “It’s priority four where my group has real problems.

“Halfway down priority 4.1 is the workplace parking levy.

“Objective 4.2 seems to imply an extension and expansion of the Clear Air Zone.

“My group is opposed to both of those.

“We cannot support a strategy with those in.”

Cllr Weston said other priorities, such as expanding and protecting green spaces and giving more land to nature, were welcome but the proof would be in the pudding because of the Labour government’s pledge to build homes and set high housing targets, which could put pressure on open areas for development.

The 39-page document said: “We will prioritise changing some of the major roads in the city to make it easier, safer and more attractive for people to use public transport and to walk, wheel or cycle.

“We will prioritise introducing a workplace parking levy to fund further improvements to public transport and active travel.

“We will use some of the income generated from the Clean Air Zone to fund supported bus services for areas with less reliable transport options.”

Bristol City Council leader Cllr Tony Dyer (Green, Southville) told the meeting: “The corporate strategy sits at the very top of our policy and strategy framework.

“This means it influences almost everything we do.

“All of our council plans, projects and services will draw from it, including those already in development.

“It outlines five key priorities for the council, covering education and employment, health and wellbeing, neighbourhoods and homes, transport, and climate action and nature recovery.”

Economy and skills committee chairman Cllr Andrew Brown (Lib Dem, Hengrove & Whitchurch Park) said: “The corporate strategy is the guiding light of our organisation – it needs to speak to our residents, our staff, and our partners.

“It is not an exhaustive list of what the council does but everything the council does should contribute to meeting these objectives.

“As the leader says, it will impact everything we do as we tackle the challenges we face now and in the coming years.”

In a blog post on the council’s website on Wednesday (May 14), the authority’s deputy leader Cllr Heather Mack (Green, Lockleaze) said: “Our goal is to ensure that in everything we do, we are working together for a sustainable and equitable Bristol that enables everyone to be safe, well and thrive.

“Within this strategy, we have chosen to focus our efforts on a list of five priorities – improving equity of outcomes in education and employment; supporting children’s, families’ and adults’ health and wellbeing; creating safe, healthy neighbourhoods and affordable, safe and good quality homes; making it easier, greener and safer to travel into and around Bristol; and accelerating climate action and nature recovery.

“This is a more focussed approach than the one taken in previous years.

“This is so that we can be clear with our city what our priorities are for the coming five years and recognise that whilst different things are important to different people, it’s impossible to prioritise everything all of the time.

“Our focussed efforts within each of these priorities will deliver positive outcomes for our city.

“Examples include improved services for children and families with special educational needs, improved access to health and care services for earlier support, more affordable and good quality homes, safer and more viable sustainable transport options, and greater access to low carbon, lower cost heat for homes and businesses.”

The strategy is here.

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