Lewisham Council consider tripling parking costs for diesel vehicles
Lewisham Council’s Cabinet are set to decide on plans to triple parking fees for diesel vehicles in council car parks.
Those vehicles that pollute the least would see a reductions in fees.
The issue is one of many to be discussed at tomorrow’s Mayor and Cabinet meeting.
The move is expected to bring in £300,000 a year.
Another contentious issue will be parking fees for motorcycles – a mode of transport that helps alleviate congestion.
They state: “In addition, currently motorcycles do not pay to park in Lewisham. To align with these strategies, the introduction of motorcycle parking charges is proposed. These would also be emission-based, to harmonise with the charges for other motor vehicles and the Council’s aims to improve air quality.”
The amount to be raised through parking and permit fees are small – £40,000 per year from introducing motorcycle permits and £45,000 from emission-based short-stay parking charges – which will be weighed against people possibly turning to cars if they have to pay anyway.
The aim is to introduce emissions based short stay parking fees by October 2021, and delegate a report on motorcycle parking charges by November 2021 after consultation.
In recent months Lewisham council requested that substantial car parking remain beside Blackheath station. The station car park is not owned by the authority, but would be a prime candidate for sustainable public-transport oriented housing on part of the site.
Ironic really as parked cars are not polluting. There are already enough cars (esp. minicabs or people taking their partners shopping) driving in circles to avoid paying to park. I still don’t understand why I pay more in tax and (street)parking for my diesel car that does 2000 miles a year (less in the last year) but someone in a petrol car doing 10,000 miles pollutes more and pays less. Factor in the environmental cost of scrapping a working car and building a new “more efficient” car, where the efficiency gains over it’s life (likely less than 10 years with future environment policies and built-in obsolescence) will probably never outweigh the environmental cost of making the new car, except for the worst polluting vehicles which are often newer vehicles with damaged sensors which won’t be repaired until their next MOT.
Just another scheme to cause disruption and make money. The ULEZ is coming in October so many diesel vehicles will have to pay to drive anyway. An extra parking charge is unnecessary.
Small businesses and others are going to be under more financial pressure as the costs of transporting goods will be increased and many have perfectly good vehicles that will need to be replaced earlier than planned for.
My husband has a small building company and can hardly be expected to take tools and materials on a bike!