Two of the top ranked Conservative councils in Britain are blazing trails in opposite directions by developing radical new approaches to parking in the Capital. One way to go, currently on trial in Westminster, has triggered rising waves of objections and protest. The other has triggered an outburst of support from local businesses and cross-party calls for its immediate introduction in other boroughs.
Westminster City Council (WCC) are trialling an extension of constraints on parking that is unprecedented throughout the developed world. Under ‘experimental traffic orders‘ the council have imposed charges for parking motorcycles in M/C bays for the first time on UK public roads in their borough. This pioneering scheme is however increasingly unpopular with scooter and motorbike riders as news of it spreads. In the first six months of the trial the costs of ‘improvements’ that were originally used to justify the new charges have been finalised at £380,000, but the surplus from fines and fees has topped £2million – and is rising every day. The pioneer of the controversial scheme is Cllr Danny Chalkley who will begin a review of the trial this week. WCC have already received over 3,000 written objections to the trial and seen a succession of demonstrations against the scheme as TC reported here. The latest ‘Bikers Storm City Hall’ demo involved 500 riders jamming Park Lane in the rush and holding an impromptu meeting in the council’s foyer on Tuesday. Links to reports and vids ca be found here at the no-to-bike-parking-tax website here. Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), the council have taken an equally radical step in the opposite direction to WCC. RBKC have now decided to make parking for cars and motorbikes completely free on many key streets in an attempt to woo shoppers back into the borough. Reports on this from the BBC are here. This radical move by Conservative led RBKC is however also attracting support from local business and the Labour opposition group in Camden and as reported in local press here and here and by Newsblog Labour. TC notes various things with interest: As public anger at the new WCC scheme grows it seems that Conservative parliamentarians are moving on from fence sitting, in the form of a position that this scheme is a ‘local politics issue’ – to one in which the nationwide implications of the WCC trial is being considered and commented on in a more critical way. 
Not least of these is Tory Shadow Roads Minister, Robert Goodwill MP. He has now expressed hopes that the WCC scheme will not be “replicated widely”. Big new challenges for local authorities and elected members regarding the direction of parking policy are emerging from these recent developments. TC suggests that the key questions are these: Will cash strapped local authorities look at their dwindling funds and take a lead from WCC in trying to turn bikers into the next source of transport related stealth tax revenue. Or, will WCC become increasingly isolated from other authorities and support from Conservative party HQ. Lastly, what will promoters of the ‘need’ for parking fees and fines do if a radical and nationwide shift towards free parking makes life better for local communities?
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February 22nd, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Good briefing, Leon. No question in my mind that Westminster is on the wrong (coercive, restrictive) track, and that Kensington is on the right one (which I’ve long advocated).
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I think it’s fascinating how, quietly and almost without organised protest, parking has become a keystone in both local authority tax raising and what’s euphemistically called “demand management”. With the advent of the equally euphemistic “decriminalised” parking systems, another layer of revenue collection has emerged in the form of PCNS, all payable to local authorities. Parking fees are now – quite deliberately – set at high levels which make significant inroads into drivers’ wallets. At the same time, particularly in cities like Oxford, London, Bristol and Birmingham, the presence of privatised parking enforcers is – quite literally – oppressive on the streets as they patrol in search of breaches of the law’s letter. To see this sort of spiteful, revenue-centric approach targeted on motorcycles is a great shame.
March 11th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Hello Mark,
Whilst I agree with everything you say, it is a great shame these parking taxes are targeted on car drivers as well.
When a town wants commerce and visitors, why on earth do they dissuade people with money grabbing parking charges which generally turn them away.
I used to visit the town centre at least twice a week. After they introduced parking charges I now visit maybe once a month and only stay for the shortest time possible.
It is probably saving me some money but if others are doing the same, and the lack of cars in the car park would suggest they are, then the shops in town are losing out in a big way.
We have the politics of a madhouse in this country today.
January 5th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
[...] tempting prospect when you notice that the Westminster trial scheme has already extracted more than £2m from riders pockets More pics [...]
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