Hackney Council is set to introduce emissions-based parking charges aimed at more polluting vehicles as part of a broader objective to reduce localised carbon emissions.
It has provided the projected costs for parking permit renewal which cover the next five or seven years, depending on permit type.
The aim of the policy is to discourage the use of cars with heavy carbon emissions, tackle the climate emergency, improve local air quality and reduce particulate matter from cars; charges came into effect as of 1 August 2023.
Prices for residents’ parking permits have been adjusted, with diesel vehicle owners facing a surcharge.
The surcharge means residents permit holders will see costs increase from £200 to an additional £50 per year in future years, with the same cost being applied to business permits.
Estate resident permits, which currently cost £57 per year, are set to increase by £57 every year for diesel cars, according to a council statement.
Newer diesel vehicles that meet the government’s Real Driving Emissions 2 test standard will be exempt.
From 2024, households with more than one vehicle will also have a surcharge added to their permit fee. This will start at £25 in 2024, rising to £50 in 2025, and will then increase by £50 per year in future years.
Under the new fee structure, the parking permit cost for a resident permit holder with a Band 1 zero-emission vehicle will increase by £1 a year from 2023/24 until 2027/28.
However, a resident permit holder with a Band 13 diesel vehicle emitting more than 256g per km will see fees grow from £549 in 2023/24 to £1,243 in 2027/28.
For businesses, these costs for the same vehicle type will change from £1,519 in 2023/24 to £2,200 in 2027/28.
Prices are lower for those with estate resident permits.
Some of the support measures proposed by the council include switching to a greener vehicle and applying to the £110m Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) scrappage scheme.
The council has also promoted the use of car clubs and cycling to mitigate the cost increases.
Calculations of vehicle fees will be made based on predicted carbon emissions of a vehicle. Where no emissions data is available, Hackney has said it will calculate permit prices based on engine size.
The local authority has also announced plans to transform all its streets into low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) by 2026.
Such schemes have recently come under criticism from central government, with UK prime minister Rishi Sunak ordering a national review of LTNs late last month [July 2023].
This measure has come under fire from sustainable transport groups and Cllr Mete Coban, cabinet member for environment and transport for the London Borough of Hackney, who described the crackdown on LTNs as “disingenuous” and accused the PM of “fuelling culture wars”.
CiTTi Magazine has reached out to Hackney Council for comment on the new charges.
Hackney Council was shortlisted for three CiTTi Awards last year and was the first-ever winner of the Active Travel Award.
For more information on CiTTi Awards 2023, visit www.cittiawards.co.uk. For entry form enquiries, please contact Kajal Ravalia at kajal.ravalia@akabomedia.co.uk or 020 8037 1777. For sponsorship enquiries, please contact Iain McLean at iain.mclean@akabomedia.co.uk or 020 4558 0311
