Cost for parking permits in Bristol to triple
The council's cabinet signed off on raising the fee from 56-pounds a year to 178 pounds last night
Last updated 8th Aug 2024
Council bosses have agreed to triple the cost of Bristol parking permits in a bid to discourage drivers from owning a car.
Annual fees for resident parking permits will increase from £56 to £178, while some spaces could be repurposed for new trees, cycle hangars or bike lanes.
Resident parking zones were introduced in Bristol by George Ferguson, the former independent mayor, to stop commuters driving into the city and parking on residential streets near the centre.
However, the current Labour administration says they have failed to deliver.
Labour councillors say the zones, where only residents with permits can park, encourage short local car trips because for them, parking is easier to find.
During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, January 23, huge increases in the fees for permits were approved, as well as other changes.
Councillor Don Alexander, cabinet member for transport, said: “We’re trying to make active travel and public transport more appealing through reallocation of road space.
"Where applicable, there will be reallocation of highway space to sustainable modes of travel and sustainable urban drainage systems.
“This is public space and we’re currently renting it out for £56 a year, a very small amount of money when you talk about the opportunity loss, like for cycle hangars, sustainable drainage, bike infrastructure. Often in transport projects, space is taken up by parking and one big challenge is how do we speak to those people who have always parked their car there, and tell them we would like it for a bus lane or a segregated cycle lane.
“What I’m saying is that £56 isn’t enough for that.
"When it comes to the whole city, why don’t we think more ambitiously?
"Why don’t we talk about street space as a resource for all of us, not just those of us who have cars or use cars.
"Yes many people use cars, quite legitimately, I have no problem with that, but many people don’t, they want to cycle, they want to walk, and they want to socialise in their streets.”
Resident parking areas cover several neighbourhoods surrounding the city centre, like Kingsdown, St Pauls and Southville.
The centre is covered by a central parking zone, a similar scheme, but where residents might have to wait for a long time before getting a permit.
The council is also proposing to remove third vehicle permits, reduce the number of business permits in Clifton Village, and replace visitor permits with a pay and display system.
Some residents though, are left unable to apply for a permit, while others struggle to park despite having one.
Izidora Holjar-Erlic lives next to Brandon Hill, in a flat converted from a former office building.
She can’t apply for a residents’ parking permit, along with many people living in newly built or converted buildings within parking zones, as the council has a policy of creating ‘car-free developments’ — by banning residents from applying.
Ms Holjar-Erlic said: “This is a good opportunity to rethink the situation.
"Great George Street is becoming more residential, there are plenty of parking spaces but I cannot even apply.”
Bob Reeves lives near the Avon Gorge Hotel in Clifton.
The hotel sells its visitor permits to guests, who then park in residential streets nearby.
He said: “Very often residents cannot park because there are hotel visitors with the hotel’s permits in our residents area.
"We’ve raised this several times and it’s not been addressed.”
The changes came under fire from Green councillors, who questioned claims that higher fees would encourage people to walk, cycle or get the bus instead.
They also raised concerns about how areas just outside of the zones still suffer from high levels of parking, an issue that does not appear to be addressed by any of the proposed changes.
Green Councillor Martin Fodor said: “It’s been eight years since these schemes have been left in place after the mayor reviewed them all and didn’t make any changes to any of them, or make any fee revisions over those eight years.
"Now about eight weeks before he leaves the political process for the next election, we’ve had two reports in a few weeks.
“The policy confusion is worrying me.
"The lack of coherence, the lack of context, and most of all the lack of evidence.
"No new schemes have been allowed.
"Half my ward has parking managed, and you’re proposing to change that.
"The other half has no parking management, it’s chaotic, and you’re not proposing to change that or find any solutions.”
He asked for evidence that the permit fee hike would lead to “lower impact travel alternatives” replacing car use.
Cllr Alexander replied: “If you’re asking for evidence that people who have to pay more to rent a piece of public space to park their car are more likely to think about not having a car, then I would say nobody is going to fund that kind of academic research, because it’s just plain obvious.
“Some people will decide that, and then that space will be available for a tree, or sustainable drainage, or a bike hangar, which is the kind of thing that our party wants.”
The plan to triple fees for permits stands in contrast with a similar debate last year, about a workplace parking levy.
This would see businesses charged for employees who park at their place of work, with the income invested in improving public transport.
Last August, Bristol mayor Marvin Rees said he was scrapping plans for a levy, due to the cost of living crisis.
Writing in his blog, he said: “With high inflation during a national cost of living crisis, now is not the time to create more costs for people.
"Others will say that today is an ideal moment to hit teachers, nurses, and other Bristolians parking at schools, hospitals, and other workplaces in central Bristol for hundreds of pounds, if not even more.
"They are wrong.”