Hello,

We’re writing to you as you responded to our consultation on updated emissions-based parking charges earlier this year. The proposals included changes to the residents permit emissions bands, diesel surcharge, voucher prices and short term pay to park charges.

Following consultation on these proposals, we have announced that we will proceed with the introduction of these changes. The new pricing will come into effect from 30 May 2023. We’ve made this decision in order to:

• tackle climate change by incentivising a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions
• encourage more active and sustainable travel, such as public transport, walking & cycling
• improve air quality – road transport is a major source of Nitrogen Dioxide and particulate matter
• decrease road danger by reducing the number of motor vehicles on our streets
• support the principles set out in our Kerbside Strategy, Climate Action Plan and Transport Strategy

This will help to create a fairer, more equal borough where everyone breathes clean air.

As part of the consultation process, we have published responses to themes and issues raised by those who responded. Read on for more information about the new policy and links to the full Decision Report and our responses to points raised by respondents.

Pricing will be based on a vehicle's CO2 emissions

Resident Permit holders, people parking in controlled parking zones and car parks will be charged according to the CO2 emissions their vehicle produces. The more a vehicle pollutes, the more the driver will pay to park, reflecting the impact carbon emissions have on our climate and air quality.

We will also be introducing a new monthly payment option for Resident Permits, so that residents can pay less up-front for their permit if they wish.

We must act now to protect our climate

We know that any increase in costs is difficult, but we need to act now to reduce our carbon emissions so that we can reach Net Zero by 2030. Almost a quarter of Lambeth’s carbon emissions are linked to vehicles, despite lower car ownership levels compared to other London boroughs. Disadvantaged groups are even less likely to own a car, but more likely to be affected by the effects of car use such as poor air quality, climate change and road danger.

Parking revenue is ring-fenced for the maintenance of our roads & pavements, and active travel schemes

Some of the key activities that any additional revenue will support include:

• Fixing potholes, resurfacing roads and pavements – we invested £4.7m in 2022/23 and resurfaced 78000sqm of carriageway
• Funding the Freedom Pass for older people and people with disabilities
• Reducing deaths and injuries through our road danger reduction programme
• Supporting walking and cycling through our ‘Big Shift’ programme, with access to free cycling lessons, affordable bikes and more bike parking

Thinking about making the switch to clean transport?

There’s never been a better time to switch to cleaner transport, whether that’s public transport, walking, cycling or a less polluting vehicle. Our Big Shift programme has lots of support to help you walk or cycle more, including;

• Try Before You Bike – try a bike for 6 months with low monthly payments which count towards purchase or can be refunded if it’s not for you
• OurBike Cargo Bike Hire – our network of three-wheeled cargo bikes can be hired by residents and businesses, the first 120minutes of each ride are free.
• Dr Bike – free bike maintenance to help you get back on the road
• Cycle Training – free one-to-one cycle training to build your skills and confidence
• Bike Hangers and parking – we’re installing 5,000 additional hangar spaces and cutting the annual cost of hiring them
• The Mayor of London’s Scrappage Scheme for Londoners on lower-incomes and disabled Londoners offers £2,000 to replace you car, with more available to disabled drivers, London-based registered charities, micro-businesses (up to 10 employees) and sole traders.

Further information & responses to issues raised

Read more about our plans on our website, including the new tables of fees which will come into effect from 30 May.

You can also view the formal Decision Report and appendices, which set out the reasons for the decision in detail and include responses to questions raised in response to the consultation. Below, we have shared responses to some of the most frequently raised points.

New fees are too high

Today, the true cost to society of private motor vehicle use, relative to other uses, is not reflected in the price of our parking. In 2022 it costs more to park a bike in a bike hangar (£42 per bike, per year) than it did to park some motor vehicles (£39.90 for a vehicle emitting up to 100 grams of CO2 per km). In 2022 the cost of a resident parking permit was as little as 11p per day - 99% cheaper than the average parking place on private land.

The proposals set out aim to introduce fair and proportional charges for parking and remove incentives to car use and encourage consideration of alternative transport options. According to data from the RAC foundation the costs of motoring over the last decade has reduced in relation to both the cost of living and average wages which is likely to have incentivised car use. The permit charge will remain a relatively modest element of the total cost of car ownership.

Taking action to cut our emissions, clean our air and adapt to extreme weather events requires significant change, and everyone needs to play their part. Taking this action will deliver tangible benefits to people in every corner of Lambeth, from revitalising our natural spaces with biodiversity, to streets that are quieter and safer for walking, cycling and accessing public transport.

Income generation

The primary objective of the proposals is to set pricing that incentivises residents to reduce their use and ownership of cars or to consider switching to a lower emission model, public transport or active travel where they are able. Revenue generated is expected to decline in future years as owners gradually replace vehicles with lower emission models for lower permit charges.

The setting of parking charges is a function which, like other functions under the Road Traffic Regulation Act (RTRA), must be exercised in accordance with section 122 of the RTRA, namely, so as to secure the expeditious, convenient, and safe movement of vehicular and other traffic including pedestrians, and the provision of suitable and adequate parking facilities on and off the highway. Using parking schemes to raise income would be inconsistent with the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984.

The proposed charges are determined to meet the traffic management objectives for reducing the number of cars on the road and air pollution. Surplus from parking charges is ring-fenced and, for example, contribute significantly to sustaining public transport fare concessions such as the Freedom Pass. The new charges are considered necessary to influence the otherwise continuing increase in the number of parked and driving cars on the road in the Borough.

Lower emission vehicles should be charged less than proposed 

Parking permit prices are being set to incentivise the uptake of less polluting vehicles as well as to discourage car ownership. Although electric vehicles are preferable to internal combustion engine vehicles due to the elimination of tailpipe emissions of CO2 and NOx, they produce significant volumes of harmful fine particle pollution (PM2.5 and PM10) from brake and tyre dust. The primary objective must therefore be to reduce car use of all types.

Impact on disabled residents

Blue Badge holders are unaffected by the current proposals and are exempt from needing a permit to park in any Lambeth disabled parking bay, pay & display and shared use bay in Controlled Parking Zones (CPZ’s) across the borough or permit holder bays. Disabled badge holders can also park on yellow lines for up to 3 hours, if loading restrictions are not in effect. Nonetheless we are hoping that the impact of the band changes could prompt vehicle owners to use alternative means of transport, particularly for non-essential/urgent travel. Blue badge holders should benefit from easier access to locations, and less overall traffic congestion, making any necessary car journeys easier. People may choose to walk for shorter journeys boosting personal health and the environment. This would be a step-change in driver behaviour and road safety potential.

Require a vehicle for school/family

The Council does appreciate the logistical difficulties raised by parents, but this issue highlights the difficult balance that the Council needs to strike to reduce the impacts of air pollution and road safety, which particularly affect children. Even in those boroughs with low car ownership, such as Lambeth, roads with school are often highly congested with traffic. This is especially the case at the beginning and at end of each school day. Limited parking around most schools within the borough results in some drivers parking inconsiderately or dangerously close to the school gates, putting all arriving at school at risk of road traffic collision and poor health. In addition, the heightened congestion very often becomes an inconvenience to local residents with indiscriminate parking and poor driver behaviour a common occurrence.

It is recognised that some parents may want or need to drive their children to school/ nursery. But this creates a catch 22 situation that makes the street environment more intimidating and polluted for other children cycling or walking to school. For this reason, Lambeth aims to encourage active travel to school and has been working with schools on implementing school travel plans including measures such as cycle training. The Council has gone further and taken the bold step of implementing School Street schemes that prevent parental parking during pick up and drop off times at 18 Schools across the Borough.

Require a vehicle for occasional use

Every car journey begins and ends with parking. When the parked car is driven, it contributes to pollution. All car ownership therefore contributes to pollution, in various amounts. Parking permit prices are being set to incentivise the uptake of less polluting vehicles as well as to restrain the demand to make journeys by private car and to park on the public highway, which will help to reduce traffic and improve traffic flow in the borough.

Cars that remain parked for longer periods of time reduce the number of available parking spaces which indirectly increases the circulation of traffic which is searching for parking spaces. Some of these little used cars, and second or third cars, could be candidates for conversion to shared pool car uses or other alternatives to car ownership. The emission-based charges will help encourage this. Lambeth’s Kerbside Strategy also sets out 4 priorities for sustainable use of the kerbside, the same space used by vehicles even if they remain parked permanently. Charging therefore is aimed at applying a reasonable charge for use of valuable public space by a minority of Lambeth households that have access to a vehicle.

Thank you,

Lambeth Parking Team