Emissions charge link to parking is approved by Hackney

Hackney’s Cabinet has approved a parking review which will see diesel cars face a higher parking permit cost 

The London borough of Hackney has approved changes to parking permit charges, due to be rolled out over the next three years, which include a £50 levy for diesel vehicles.

The changes will see parking permits charged according to CO2 emissions instead of engine size, with the most polluting vehicles being charged more.

A paper to the borough’s Cabinet, which approved the permit changes, advised that: “Research has shown that diesel emissions have significant detrimental effects on health but that they account for half of new cars; in Hackney around 4,500 permits issued are for diesel vehicles. It is therefore vital to encourage residents and businesses to buy more efficient non-diesel vehicles to improve air quality. Furthermore, parking pricing can be an important influence in a visitor’s mode of transport, especially in areas with good public transport links.”

Hackney’s parking permits scheme will now be linked to car emissions levels

With areas of Hackney suffering from some of worst air quality levels in London, the borough said that it is hoped the new banding “will help drive down pollution by encouraging people to consider more environmentally friendly cars or to use other forms of sustainable transport”.

The Parking Permit Review has formed part of the Council’s wider ambitions to cut pollution, and reflect similar ‘green-charging’ policies already in place in neighbouring boroughs aimed at reducing pollutants in the air. A number of other changes are also outlined as part of the Parking Permits Review, aimed at making the system fairer for residents:

• Cars built before 2001 will move up a band in the charging scheme, reflecting the levels of CO2 they produce.
• A removal of the height / weight / length limits for short-stay parking which will benefit local businesses.
• A £50 levy for diesel vehicles which are the most polluting.

Residents and businesses will now be informed of the proposed permit charges. To help prepare vehicle owners for the change in banding, there will be no changes to the price of permits in 2015.

In 2016, renewed permits will be subject to a 50% increase of the proposed charge difference. The full charges will come into effect in 2017.

Cllr Feryal Demirci, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “The approval of the Parking Permits Review clearly shows how seriously Hackney Council is taking the issue of tackling air pollution in our borough.

“We will be contacting residents and businesses directly to make them aware of the charging. We also understand that it does take time to prepare for change, which is why we are phasing in the new charges over the next three years with no change in the cost of permits taking place this year.”

“The approval of the Parking Permits Review clearly shows how seriously Hackney Council is taking the issue of tackling air pollution in our borough,” – Cllr Feryal Demirci

Cllr Demirci added: “We know that 4,300 deaths per year in London are linked to pollution and, with some areas of Hackney failing to meet EU air quality levels, we hope that the change in permits and the growth in sustainable transport will help to make Hackney a cleaner, healthier place to live and work.”

Through the Health and Social Care Act 2012 Hackney explained that it is now directly responsible for protecting and improving public health. The borough noted that: “The Mayor of London’s 2010 Air Quality Strategy identified that around 4,300 deaths per year in London are partly caused by long-term exposure to particulate matter and suggested that the economic cost of poor air quality could be as high a £2 billion.

“According to 2011 data published as part of the Public Health Outcomes Framework, 8% of deaths in Hackney were attributable to particulate air pollution. The Mayor of London also highlighted the need for research to fully understand the health impacts of Nitrogen Dioxide. Due to Hackney’s poor air quality it has been in special measures since 2006 when the borough was found to be in breach of national air quality objectives and designated an Air Quality Management Area.”