Brent council consults on £50 diesel car parking charge

Parking permit charge is being considered to reflect diesel cars’ “additional contribution to air pollution”

The views of residents in Brent, North London are being sought over proposals to charge drivers of diesel vehicles up to £50 to park in certain areas of the borough due to “their additional contribution to air pollution”.

Map showing Air Quality Management Areas within the London borough of Brent – click to enlarge (image: Brent council)

A month-long consultation launched by Brent council last week (April 14) asks for residents’ views on a series of proposals which would change the way on-street parking is managed in the London borough.

Plans would see a minimum £25 permit charge for all vehicle types, as well as a £25 supplement for diesel vehicles “to reflect their recognised impact on air pollution”, bringing the total permit charge in controlled parking zones for diesel cars to £50 per year.

The consultation notice states that the council is seeking to “simplify the emissions-based charging scheme for residents’ permits, with increased charges for cars that create more air pollution”.

Other proposals being consulted on include capping the availability of visitor permits, restricting permits to two per household, introducing a car weight limit for eligible permits of 3.5 tonnes and revising school permits to encourage staff to minimise their parking impact “and encourage better school travel planning”.

The proposed changes have been put forward due to “significant pressure” on demand for parking spaces across Brent, the council said, with just 33,000 car parking spaces for the borough’s 56,000 homes within controlled parking zones.

“With such pressure on demand, we are working with residents and businesses to shape a new approach to manage demand for parking spaces and encourage people to use more sustainable transport wherever possible” – Brent council

“With such pressure on demand, we are working with residents and businesses to shape a new approach to manage demand for parking spaces and encourage people to use more sustainable transport wherever possible,” the consultation notice states.

The council also said it would consult separately on the boundaries and times of operation for its 40 controlled parking zones “in the near future”.

Councillor Eleanor Southwood, Brent council’s cabinet member for the environment, commented: “We’re committed to making Brent a borough that is accessible for everyone. Finding ways of better managing on-street parking will ensure that people who need a parking space can find one. Through this consultation, residents, businesses, schools and visitors alike can have their say on proposals for managing demand for spaces.”

The consultation closes on May 10.

Diesel parking charges

Brent would not be the first council in London to introduce an additional parking charge for diesel drivers in order to combat air pollution, with the likes of Islington, Hackney, Camden and Kensington & Chelsea already levying various parking charges linked to diesel cars’ emissions levels.

UK motor industry organisation SMMT last year described such charges for car parking as an “unfair demonisation of diesel” that would penalise drivers who had bought their cars “in good faith” (see AirQualityNews.com story).