Local say that the proposed tax hike “adds insult to injury” to the already crippling costs for drivers in the city, with some saying plans will target families and people with disabilities
Residents in one of Britain’s most historic cities have reacted furiously to a council’s plan to charge locals for permits according to the size of their cars.
Residents have hit out at the “outrageous” ‘SUV tax’ proposed by Bath and North East Somerset Council, which critics say targets individuals and families with disabilities who often require larger cars. The Liberal-Democrat-controlled authority would be the first in England to introduce a surcharge for larger vehicles, following similar action taken in Cardiff last autumn.
The council has begun consulting the public over changes to parking in Bath, and is already facing backlash. A variety of parking issues are covered in the plans, such as needing a valid MoT for parking permits and increasing the costs of visitor permits – but it’s the proposal to charge locals for permits based on the size of their cars which has sparked fury.
The change would be a first in England, and could mean supplementary charges for some large vehicles while smaller vehicles could see discounts. A similar scheme was introduced last year in Cardiff.
Former taxi driver, 63-year-old Bob, hit out against the plans, saying: “I was driving in this town for 20 years, and at the time, I had to pay something like £80 to 100 for residential parking. If that weren’t bad enough, they then add insult to injury by saying, ‘now we’re going to charge you by the size of your car as well. The things they are doing don’t make sense.”
He added: “I wouldn’t mind so much, but they’re not improving the public transport system. I don’t think it’s going to improve the congestion in the city, because it doesn’t matter how much they put the charges up – people will still pay the charges. People will still come into the centre of town because they have to, to function.”
Julian Knight, 51, who travels to Bath with his family multiple times a year to see his brother, said: “From a visitor’s perspective, the parking charges seem quite high already – we paid £50 for two nights. We visit three to five times a year and stay at my brother’s apartment. We would probably still visit, because we’re coming to see family – but it would be a bigger hit on the wallet.”
However, some residents have spoken out in favour of the changes, including 63-year-old Jayne Mallon, who said: “I think it’s a good idea, bigger vehicles should pay more – they take up more space and give out more pollution.”
Tina Kerr, 56, from Warminster, stays she thinks the rules are great – but echoed Bob’s point that better public transport is needed. She said: “We do visit relatively frequently, if transport wasn’t such an issue we might visit more. We would love to go on the train, but it is expensive, always late, and it is never when we need it to be.
“We have to get to the opposite side of Bath to use the Park and Ride. It is great to sort out the parking issues, but it needs an integrated transport system to replace people driving in. We don’t have a convenient alternative.”
Councillor Joel Hirst, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport Strategy, said: “The way we manage parking has a direct impact on road safety, fairness, and the council’s ability to maintain essential services. What we’re proposing to do will help us achieve this. Higher charges for larger vehicles and discounts for smaller ones will encourage more people to use safer, smaller and cleaner vehicles, which will also help improve air quality.”
The proposal is similar to the action introduced in Cardiff at the end of last year, which became the first authority in the UK to increase permit prices for heavier cars. They said plans were “to encourage drivers to switch to smaller vehicles”, amid a backlash against large SUVs.
The controversial scheme was aimed at cutting congestion and pollution in the city and encouraging people to walk, cycle or use public transport. Councillor Mandy Rigby, Cabinet Member for Communications and Community in Bath, said: “We have three brilliant Park & Ride sites that run fast, regular and convenient services into the city and provide free parking for those using the service. One of our proposed changes is to increase the cost of 24-hour parking at these sites for motorists not using the service and we want to hear your views.”
In addition to the council’s previous proposals, they are not also consulting on the introcuction of parking charges on Weston Road in Bath, changes to permit parking on Monmouth Street to support Avon and Somerset Police moving into Bath city centre, and some operational changes to council car parks. Bath and North East Somerset Council closed the initial public consultation on their proposed parking overhaul in November last year.
Feedback showed a divisive split among residents, with 50 % of respondents backing the size-based charges or discounts for residents’ parking permits. However, support for increasing the 24-hour parking charge at Park & Ride sites from £3 to £4 for motorists slipped to 38%.
In addition to the council’s previous proposals, a live consultation is now underway on the introduction of parking charges to a number of streets in Bath, as well as some operational changes to car parks. The consultation is open until June 18.
