UK councils criticised over huge parking permit cost gap

Parking bay suspensions found to cost far more than permits

UK councils face criticism over huge gap between parking permits and bay suspension costs UK councils have faced criticism over the wide difference between the cost of parking permits and the price of suspending a parking bay, with campaigners arguing that public space is being prioritised for parked vehicles. Data published by climate charity Possible found that suspending a parking bay was, on average, 115 times more expensive than paying for a parking permit. The figures showed an average weekly cost of £158.06 for a parking bay suspension, compared with just £1.38 for a parking permit. Parking bay suspensions can cost far more Parking bay suspensions can be required for several reasons, including allowing skips to be placed on the road or providing space during house moves. They can also be used to create temporary community spaces, including areas for seating, gardens and cycle parking. Possible's head of car-free cities, Hirra Khan Adeogun, criticised councils over what she described as the dominance of private cars in public spaces. She argued that the difference between parking permit prices and suspension costs showed that councils could be missing opportunities to make better use of road space. The research also highlighted significant differences between individual cities. Nottingham, Bradford and Leeds had no weekly charge for parking permits, while weekly parking bay suspension costs were £23.38, £70 and £187.60 respectively. Liverpool had a weekly parking permit cost of just 4p, but suspending a parking bay cost £193 per week. In several other cities, the gap was also substantial. Parking bay suspensions in London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Bristol, Newcastle and Manchester were between 33 and 353 times more expensive than a parking permit. Manchester had the highest weekly parking permit cost among those six cities at £4.33, according to the research. Campaigners call for parking charges to change The figures were published alongside arguments over how much public road space is occupied by parked vehicles. According to research by the RAC Foundation cited in the report, cars remain parked and unused for an average of 23 hours a day, while cars and vans in England are driven for around 4% of the time. Possible called on councils to reconsider parking permit costs and said charges should better reflect the wider effects of car ownership, including pollution, road danger and the loss of public space. The campaign group argued that changing parking policies could help councils give greater priority to people and community uses rather than private vehicles.