Drivers of dirty vehicles could pay more for parking permits in the Bath area, on top of a new ‘clean air zone’ for the city, in another bid to change behaviours.
Bath and North East Somerset Council is considering introducing higher parking charges based on carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions, as part of its commitments to clean air and the climate emergency.
Council officers have also proposed new pay and display charges, a crackdown on permits offered to hotel guests and health professionals, and new fees for blue badge holders.
An officer told scrutiny panel members on 13th January: “There will be a significant change to the status quo within the city.
“Parking charges are one of the immediate tools available to change behaviour and increase the use of active travel options like walking, cycling and public transport.
“No decisions have been taken to date and no new tariff levels decided.”
Meeting papers say the permit prices for more polluting vehicles will be set higher based proportionately on their emissions.
Councillor Tom Davies said: “This is exactly the direction we want to be moving in. Could there be a significant lead time before the charges happen, or when people next change their car?
“If they make the right decision in the first couple of years, could we offer a refund? We want to avoid a cliff edge.
“Can this be rolled out to pay and display car parks? It’s about encouraging better behaviour from visitors to Bath and residents.”
Other proposals included introducing on-street parking charges on Sundays and rolling out overnight charges. Fees already apply in Charlotte Street.
But scrutiny panel members said the idea of increasing costs for disabled drivers was a step too far. The proposals include charges for blue badge holders who use Keynsham car park.
Councillor Lisa O’Brien said: “Making the overnight charges applicable in all car parks is frankly a fundraising opportunity. I query its effectiveness.
“After a certain time in the evening there’s no public transport available. It’s a money-making approach.
“The big one for me is charging blue badge holders for parking in Keynsham. It’s a money-making exercise.”
She said it was not fair to charge blue badge holders to park in Keynsham because unlike in Bath there are few alternatives.
“The spaces are essential to allow people with disabilities to get into the high street,” she added. “I will challenge this.”
Councillor Sue Craig said: “I don’t think we should be doing anything that means life will be more expensive for people with a blue badge.
“It’s about choice and people with blue badges don’t have that choice.
“We should be encouraging people to move to cleaner vehicles.
“There are low earners in the city who have cars that aren’t compliant and are very likely to not have a fund they can dip into the change their cars.
“They have no choice about having that charge.
“I think that’s absolutely wrong, without any sort of scrappage scheme – we need to be very careful about how we penalise these people.”
Officers have proposed increasing prices for visitor parking permits and digitising medical permits to reduce misuse.
The council could also review the permits hotels can issue so they cannot be sold to customers.
Councillor Manda Rigby said hotel permits should not stop residents from being able to park.
Any proposal taken forward would be subject to further consultation.
Stephen Sumner, Local Democracy Reporter
