0 Have your say Seven years after Nottingham first imposed its workplace car levy, Dani Garavelli assesses what the impact of such a policy might be on Scotland “Lots of businesses were trying to work out ways to get round it,” says BBC Nottingham journalist Rebecca Brice, who covered the story. “I spoke to one employer who was talking about painting huge [bays] in the car park so it looked as if there were only 10 spaces [because 10 is the maximum number allowed before a company must start paying].” Under Nottingham’s WPL scheme, businesses with 11 or more spaces must pay an annual tax (currently £415 per space); but an estimated 40 per cent of employers have passed the cost on to their workers. “People were initially outraged because they were paying the money, but not seeing the benefits,” says Brice.Seven years on, however, the city’s WPL scheme is held up as a model and has helped the city win an Ashden … [Read more...] about Insight: Is the workplace car levy a panacea for urban congestion or a poll tax on wheels?
Bristol council tax
Insight: Panacea for urban congestion or poll tax on wheels?
0 Have your say When Nottingham City Council first announced its plans for a workplace parking levy, the backlash was immediate. “Lots of businesses were trying to work out ways to get round it,” says BBC Nottingham journalist Rebecca Brice, who covered the story. “I spoke to one employer who was talking about painting huge [bays] in the car park so it looked as if there were only 10 spaces [because 10 is the maximum number allowed before a company must start paying].” Under Nottingham’s WPL scheme, businesses with 11 or more spaces must pay an annual tax (currently £415 per space); but an estimated 40 per cent of employers have passed the cost on to their workers. “People were initially outraged because they were paying the money, but not seeing the benefits,” says Brice.Seven years on, however, the city’s WPL scheme is held up as a model and has helped the city win an Ashden Award for sustainable travel. … [Read more...] about Insight: Panacea for urban congestion or poll tax on wheels?
Motorists face £1,000-a-year charge to park at work as greedy councils launch ‘Workplace Parking Levies’
A NEW “Poll Tax” is threatening to hit motorists with charges of up to £1,000 a year just to park at their office or school, The Sun can reveal. Greedy councils across the UK are considering new ‘workplace parking levies’ in the latest green blitz against Brits. Councillors in Hounslow, west London will rule in the coming weeks whether to charge firms up to £1,000 a year for every parking space they have. And the town hall concedes the cost will likely be passed on to staff. Oxford, Reading, Bristol and Cambridge and the London Boroughs of Merton and Camden are also considering their own levy. And Glasgow and Edinburgh want the Scottish Parliament to include a WPL scheme in the Transport Bill north of the border. Councils claim the levy is necessary to tackling air pollution and raising millions needed to fund improvements in public transport But the AA last night branded it a “poll tax on wheels” and urged both Chris Grayling and London … [Read more...] about Motorists face £1,000-a-year charge to park at work as greedy councils launch ‘Workplace Parking Levies’
More than 600 police stations shut in just eight years
MORE THAN 600 police stations have shut in the last eight years as violent crime has surged. It has left some cities in the UK without a police station and left residents feeling unprotected from crimes such as assaults and burglaries. Since 2010, central government funding of the police has fallen by about 20 per cent, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. This has resulted in 606 stations shutting - the largest in policing history. In Gloucestershire, 21 out of 28 police stations, including Tetbury, Bourton-on-the-Water, and Moreton-in-the-Marsh, have closed down. In the Thames Valley area, 24 of 60 stations have shut, while 11 police station front counters in Lancashire have been closed this year, Freedom of Information figures obtained by the Sunday Times revealed. Cities such as Bath and St Albans no longer have a police station. In Southmead, a suburb of Bristol, residents said the closure of the station last year led to disorder and antisocial behaviour in the area. … [Read more...] about More than 600 police stations shut in just eight years
Minister accuses councils of declaring ‘war on motorists’ with plan to charge drivers £400 to park at work
COUNCILS were last night accused of declaring war on motorists over plans for a new £400-per-space parking tax on city-centre workers. Campaigners let rip after Reading and Bristol became the latest local authorities to consider a new “workplace parking levy” on car commuters. Under the plans, city-centre firms could be charged as much as £400 a year for every staff parking space they have in a bid to tackle congestion. The AA said that in Nottingham - the first council to introduce the scheme back in 2012 - 40 per cent of employers have passed the charge on to employees. The motoring organisation said that Reading Council’s own officers admit the Nottingham scheme has only had a “small impact on congestion” - but raises £9 million a year. Environment Secretary Michael Gove earlier this summer cleared the way for councils to introduce new toxic taxes or outright bans on ‘dirty diesel’ cars to tackle air pollution. AA head policy … [Read more...] about Minister accuses councils of declaring ‘war on motorists’ with plan to charge drivers £400 to park at work