Changes to parking permits approved by Cabinet
Hackney Council’s Cabinet has approved changes to parking permit charges, due to be rolled out over the next three years.
The changes will see parking permits charged according to CO2 emissions instead of engine size, with the most polluting vehicles being charged more.With areas of Hackney suffering from some of worst air quality levels in London, 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 is 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 harmful pollutants in our 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.
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.
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.