Chelsea Tractor parking hike

Richmond’s ‘climate-responsible’ permits favour lower-carbon car

Richmond-upon-Thames borough council is being roundly cursed by its 4x4-driving residents, applauded by Chelsea Tractor haters and watched with interest by local authorities across the country [see ‘Carrots and sticks ’ for more].

The reason: its plans to ramp up charges on a sliding scale for parking permits - based on the government’s A-G car tax bands, but with the crucial difference of a top rate that’s high enough to hurt the real gas guzzlers.

The figure that has made most headlines is £750 - though admittedly you’d only pay that for the dubious distinction of parking two high emission cars on-street. Band G includes the BMW X5 4.8litre, the Jaguar X-type and the Renault Espace people carrier. The greenest drivers, with vehicles in charge band A (which consists mainly of electric cars), would qualify for a free permit, saving the £100 they pay under the current system.

“We can no longer bury our heads in the sand and pretend that climate change is not happening or that dealing with it is up to somebody else,” declared Liberal Democrat council leader Serge Lourie. Having approved its landmark parking policy, Richmond is taking it to public consultation, and hoping to implement it this May. Other councils that might follow suit include the urban 4x4 heartland of Kensington and Chelsea itself.

Striking a sceptical note, Sheila Rainger, of the RAC Foundation said: “We are in favour of encouraging people to choose greener, more efficient cars, but we’d much rather see incentives than penalties.” - Fiona Campbell

11 January 2007

Fiona Campbell