Another Round of Parking Charge Increases Proposed in Merton
New rates will be based on the emissions of vehicles
Merton’s motorists could soon see another increase in parking charges, this time based on emissions.
In January this year, charges increased in certain areas of the borough with good public transport links – this saw on-street parking in Wimbledon town centre rise to £4.50 an hour from £1.20-2.40.
A public consultation on plans to charge more for high polluting cars to park in Merton has now started.
But if you have car which emits less CO2, you could end up paying less for your car parking permit.
For on-street parking and car parks the proposal is for an extra £1.50 charge if the car does not meet minimum emissions standards.
Generally, cars manufactured before 2006 (petrol) and 2017 (diesel) do not meet emissions standards.
At a meeting on Tuesday, Ben Stephens, head of parking at the council, said, “We are not alone, a lot of London councils are using emissions-based charging.
“We are very mindful of the Covid issues, and through this consultation we will take them into consideration and build them into our proposals.
“Nothing has been decided, this is a consultation and we want to hear everybody’s views.”
The council’s director of environment Chris Lee said, “I wholly accept that residents who do not use their cars that frequently will feel this is a significant charge for very little use.
“Rather than using the car more, I would encourage residents to look at the alternatives, including car clubs. We simply do not have the powers to charge based on the miles travelled.”
The borough is already broken up into tiers, with areas with good access to public transport having more expensive parking charges.
The new emissions charges would see a 2005 Fiat Doblo 1.9 diesel car in a Tier 1 area (close to public transport) paying a £360 permit charge as it emits 153 (g/km) – the total charge would be £60 more than it currently is.
Whereas a 2017 Audi A1, in a Tier 2 area, would see a permit price that is £20 cheaper.
The consultation on the proposals is open until 23 October. If accepted, the new rules would apply to every area of the borough that currently has a controlled parking zone (CPZ).
The plans can be viewed here.
Tara O'Connor, Local Democracy Reporter
October 9, 2020