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Employers could be charged per parking space(Image: Paul Gillis Paulgillisphoto.com)<\/p>\nNottingham is the only city with a workplace parking levy, but Bristol could soon be nextEmployers could be charged per parking space(Image: Paul Gillis Paulgillisphoto.com)<\/p>\n
Bristol has been given advice and a warning over plans to roll out a workplace<\/a> parking levy affecting thousands of drivers. Nottingham is the only city in the country to have introduced a charge on employees parking at their workplace, and a former council leader has offered his views.<\/p>\n A workplace<\/a> parking levy would require most employers in Bristol to pay a charge per parking space, with the money generated being then spent on improving public transport. A levy could also lead to fewer people choosing to drive, cutting congestion on the city\u2019s clogged up streets.<\/p>\n Graham Chapman led Nottingham City Council in the early 2000s, when plans began to be drawn up for a workplace parking levy. He was then the deputy leader of the council when the levy was rolled out in 2012 \u2014 and is now \u201coffering some reassurance\u201d to Bristol about its plans.<\/p>\n Writing in the Local Government Chronicle<\/a>, Mr Chapman said Nottingham\u2019s workplace parking levy reduced the growth in congestion by 47 per cent and helped fund an expansion of the city\u2019s tram network. He described the levy, which was initially controversial, as \u201cextremely successful\u201d.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cDespite all predictions there has been no loss of business to the city. The study also states that it has contributed to a 58 per cent reduction in carbon emissions.<\/p>\n “The original expectation was that other councils would follow in quick succession. Indeed, that was the concern of opponents including the Institute of Directors, the CBI, the British Chamber of Commerce, Boots, the Daily Mail and a plethora of other organisations who formed an informal alliance to try and stem the tide.<\/p>\n “To some extent it worked \u2014 the flood gates did not open and despite lots of interest, no other city, until now, has taken the leap.\u201d Employers within Nottingham\u2019s boundary, who provide more than 10 parking spaces for staff, have to pay the city council \u00a3570 per space.<\/p>\n Most employers pass the charge onto staff. The levy aims to persuade fewer people to drive, while raising money<\/a> to improve public transport.<\/p>\n No other city in Britain has rolled out a workplace parking levy, although Bristol could do so soon and other councils are also currently considering a charge. The levy was a key pledge in the Green Party\u2019s manifesto, ahead of the local elections in May last year when they largely took control of Bristol City Council<\/a>, alongside the Liberal Democrats<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bristol\u2019s workplace parking levy is expected to be very controversial. Critics of the council\u2019s other plans to reduce congestion and improve public transport often claim it’s a \u201cwar on drivers\u201d, with vocal opposition to projects that reduce the space available and priority given to cars.<\/p>\n Both businesses and workers are already facing extra financial pressures, from the rise in National Insurance to the cost of living crisis, with much higher energy bills and housing<\/a> costs than ever before. It\u2019s unclear how much the levy will cost, but extra fees are rarely welcomed.<\/p>\n