Bristol City Council looking to introduce tax on firms that provide staff parking
EMPLOYERS in Bristol face a new tax of hundreds of pounds a year for every parking space they provide for their staff.
The city council is looking to introduce an annual "work place levy" on companies that provide staff car parking spaces at their premises.
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Car space charge aims to cut numbers driving to work
The move is intended to force more commuters out of their cars and on to their bikes or the city's buses.
Details of the scheme are thin on the ground and the amount to be charged has yet to be decided but it has already been branded a "tax on businesses".
The council says it is "exploring the potential" of the scheme, which would be most likely to affect businesses in central Bristol. The authority says it would pay for its own staff parking spaces if the tax was brought in.
Nottingham has already agreed to adopt the scheme in 2012, the first city in the country to do so.
Employers there will initially be charged up to £185 a year per parking space, but within five years the bill will rise to £350 per space, per year.
The Nottingham charge will be on all companies with 11 or more staff parking places but the emergency services, hospitals and other NHS service providers will be exempt.
Disabled workplace spaces will also escape the charge, as will spaces for motorbikes, fleet and delivery vehicles.
It is left up to each employer whether they pass on the charges to staff.
Nottingham City Council believes the levy will raise £100 million over the next decade to help fund major transport schemes.
Bristol City Council hopes that charging companies in this way will force more people on to public transport, reducing taxpayer-funded subsidies and making more money available for transport improvements.
The council's director of transport, Peter Mann, said: "Bristol City Council is keen to look at the workplace levy as part of a wider parking strategy.
"It would be a per annum per space charge, with the money going back to the local authority so it can be reinvested.
"We have no idea what the fee would be yet; we will be working on it in the next few months.
"If people can't park for free they can use the park and ride or buses, and we wouldn't have to subsidise them as much."
The levy could be seen as an example of the new advice given to the West of England Partnership – the body comprising all of the former Avon area councils – to make life "more difficult, more awkward and more expensive" for drivers.
The Post reported on Tuesday that the partnership was told to get tough on motorists by the Transport Planning Commission, a consultation body that includes the University of the West of England, Bristol Primary Care Trust, cycling charity Sustrans and the city's main bus operator, First.
Councils describe the practice of making life more difficult for motorists as "demand management".
Bristol Chamber of Commerce & Initiative director Nigel Hutchings said: "For some years, since the White Paper, Breaking the Logjam, we have been opposed to a workplace parking levy (WPL).
"Not only is it a local tax on business, but it is a disincentive to inward investment, and makes an area uncompetitive, especially if nearby areas do not have WPL."
The idea has also been condemned by motorists' group the Association of British Drivers. Spokesman Bob Bull said: "This is just another way for councils to drive people out of their cars. I find it incredible."
Council spokeswoman Kate Hartas said: "There's no timeframe at all as yet – it's just early investigative work. It is at the stage where all Post readers' comments will be very welcome to help inform the scope of the project."
82 Comments
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by wuzzer25
Thursday, February 16 2012, 8:56PM
“I note that Peter Mann says "The Authority will pay for its own staff parking" By 'Authority' he means the Bristol taxpayer. Can he explain why the taxpayer should foot the bill for Bristol City Council empoyees car parking. There is absolutely no reason why Council employees should be treated any different from other people who happen to work in the city. The taxpayer pays their generous salaries and pensions - what else do they want? perhaps we should pay for their domestic energy costs, Council tax etc.etc.”
by John Clevedon, Clevedon
Monday, August 23 2010, 10:39PM
“This just another way to tax my wages, plus they will continue to raise taxes on Petrol. We are all facing higher living costs and this action will just force car drivers into residential streets to avoid the parking charges.
Using the Bus would just add more to my traveling time from and to Clevedon as well as costing more than the driving and parking charges.”
by Hannah, bristol
Friday, July 09 2010, 11:00AM
“Why are we all for TAX, we get taxed on what we earn, taxed on our homes, taxed on our cars, taxed on insurance and shopping,
Sadie, Bristol
They will be taxing for o2 next.....all those ladies giving birth don't have gas and air you won't be able to afford it.”
by Freddie, Bristol
Friday, July 09 2010, 9:28AM
“By it very nature any public transport system will be slower and less reliable that going by car. The only thing that it can compete on is price. As we all know the cost of using the buses in Bristol is prohibitively expensive and the people who use it have no other choice. The council is determined to make car journeys more expensive rather than helping everyone in these economic times with cheaper public transport. Just remember that First Bus is a profit making company and part of your fare is going towards their profits.”
by Sadie, Bristol
Friday, July 09 2010, 9:10AM
“Why are we all for TAX, we get taxed on what we earn, taxed on our homes, taxed on our cars, taxed on insurance and shopping, enough with the tax already or else we may just as well all give up work for an income and work for free!”
by Sherlock's bones, Under the Water Tower
Friday, July 09 2010, 8:11AM
“@SmutMouth, Largesse
It's all relative SmutMouth. . They are compared to Bill Haley or the Rolling Stones. . Now stop being difficult. . This is not Reuters.
What do you want? . 'Rage against the machine'?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCiTVdrK3jE&feature=related
.”
by SmutMouth, Largesse
Friday, July 09 2010, 3:01AM
“Metallica for the 'younger ones?'”
by Ann, Weston-Super-Mare
Friday, July 09 2010, 12:40AM
“How about creating a proper public transport service before taxing companies for parking spaces? My experience so far is that it takes you at least twice as long on public transport as it would in your own car (especially if you don't happen to live within 1 mile of the nearest bus stop or train station). I come from Belgium and there they award people who use public transport when commuting to/from work. It's absolutely free and you even get a bonus (I think it's a free yearly pass for you and your family) if you abolish your car. But then again, the public transport network is quite good, something I still need to see here in the West (it only seems to be ok when you live within the M25 perimeter).”
by Paul, Bedminster
Thursday, July 08 2010, 11:48PM
“@St John Quimston
I could not have put it better myself.
Give us an alternative first and then look at introducing a tax.”
by Emily, Redland
Thursday, July 08 2010, 11:04PM
“I support the workplace parking levy. With an ever-burgeoning population, allowing everyone to drive and park when and where they want is becoming increasingly untenable. Would it be possible to convert the Severn Beach line to a two-way tram system (is it wide enough?)---or is that a daft idea? If it was successful, a longer-term project to connect it into a circular tram route from Clifton Down Shopping Centre to the Centre could make loads of motorists convert to public transport travellers. Then they can dig up their hard-standing and have gardens. What's not to like? Let's have carrot and stick!”