Some areas of the city have seen a big leap in costs
Residents’ parking charges are going up in Bristol(Image: Alex Seabrook)
The cost of residents’ parking permits has increased across Bristol today (April 8). While the increase is fairly minimal in most resident parking scheme (RPS) areas, residents of Easton and St Philips suffer from a big jump in prices.
The council continues to determine the cost of a household’s first permit based on the vehicle’s CO2 emissions, with people driving higher-polluting vehicles being hit hardest in the pocket.
In Easton and St Philips, the price of a permit for a Band A vehicle—one which emits up to 100g of CO2 per kilometre—has soared from £62 to £129, a 108% increase. A Band B vehicle, emitting between 101 and 110g of CO2 per kilometre, now costs £129 a year up from £74.
Permits for higher emission vehicles have also jumped from £85 to £129 for vehicles in Bands C to K and £127 to £193 for vehicles in Bands L and M.
In most other areas of the city, the cost for a first permit for low-emission vehicles has increased from £124 to £129. High-emission vehicles (Bands L to M) have seen their first permit cost rise from £186 to £193.
This year’s increase brings St Philips and Easton in line with the rest of the city, which experienced a similar rise in prices in early 2025.
In all RPS areas, the cost of a second permit is now £233 a year with a third permit coming in at a massive £583 a year.
Daily visitor permit costs are increasing significantly. In Clifton Village, Clifton East, and Kingsdown, the price is nearly doubling from £1.30 to £2.50 per permit, while in all other RPS areas, the cost rises to £2.00 from £1.30.
Business permits in all areas now cost £355 and customer permits cost £370.
Traders permits and medical permits have gone up from £274 to £284, and allotment permits in Redland have increased from £124 to £129.
Although residents’ parking in Bristol is expensive compared to many UK cities, the cost pales in comparison with Edinburgh, the dearest city in which to buy a residents’ permit in the country. In the Scottish capital, the most expensive price for a first vehicle permit is a whopping £765.30
However, drivers in Edinburgh who have very low-emission vehicles are rewarded better than their Bristolian counterparts. The lowest band of parking permit in central Edinburgh, for vehicles emitting up to 100g of CO2 per kilometre, costs just £76.40 annually.