Green Party backs Workplace Parking Levy

The news that Nottingham is to implement a Workplace Parking Levy from 2012, with the city council charging firms up to £350 per space each year has been welcomed by the Green Party and other environmental groups.

Alan Francis, transport spokesperson for the group in England and Wales, said the Greens had supported the policy for years and that it should be extended to include supermarkets and shopping centres.

Mr Francis said that a major problem is that facilities in Britain tend to be centralised, meaning long journeys are needed to get to them: “We support charges on motoring which make the car pay the true costs of its use and this could certainly be one way of doing it.”

The true cost of parking

The Environmental Transport Association (ETA) believes that when they are part of a well-thought-through transport policy, parking charges can have a positive environmental benefit by encouraging people to walk and cycle more.

A spokesperson at the ETA said: “Our own research revealed that in most cases parking is subsidised – the land used for the car parks would be worth more if it was used for something else such as office space. In other words, cars pay less than desks!”

“Local businesses often object to parking charges, but the car park that is constantly full because it is too cheap is not bringing custom to local shops.”

What is the ETA?

The ETA is a not-for-profit ethical organisation providing motorists and cyclists with carbon-neutral breakdown cover and insurance products. As well as encouraging responsible driving to reduce carbon, the ETA campaigns for sustainable transport.