Latest news with #parkingpermits
The Guardian
29-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Parking permit mix-up cost £110 and then £150 in fines
My husband and I have annually auto-renewed our two council parking permits, one for each vehicle, for three years. This April, as usual, our payment of £110 for both was debited, but a month later we were informed that the permits had been cancelled. Cardiff council told us that when we initially applied for the permits in 2022 we supplied incomplete documentation and that the mistake had only just come to light. Apparently, applications are automatically approved without supporting documents being checked. The council relies on random spot checks to identify any problems, and gives residents 14 days to supply whatever was missing. Anyone who misses the deadline has their permit cancelled without a refund. We've been told we will have to reapply for the permits and pay again. We later found the email informing us in our spam folder. I have hit a brick wall trying to speak to the council. In the meantime, we have received three tickets, totalling £150, for parking on our road. NT, Cardiff Your experience is bizarre on so many levels: the apparent failure to check applications; the assumption that permit holders, who may be on holiday or in hospital, will be in a position to spot and act on a single email within a fortnight, or else lose their permit, and their money; and the fact that they must shell out for a second time to make good oversights that should have been detected at the application stage. I put all these questions to the council but it only answered the one about the document-checking policy. Incredible as it may seem, it does, indeed, rely on applicants to confirm they meet the eligibility criteria for a permit rather than scrutinising the evidence itself. Its terms and conditions state that it reserves the right to request further documents at any time to verify validity. 'Any time' in your case meant three years. The council tells me that when a 'review' found that you had not submitted proof that your vehicles were linked to your address, and you did not provide it within 14 days of the email – which you did not see – it cancelled the permit to 'ensure the integrity of the application process'. This did not prevent the council sending PCNs to your address obtained via the registration plates from the DVLA database. It has now reinstated your permits, at no extra charge, and cancelled the three PCNs, but it appears to remain wedded to the system. Anna Tims was named consumer champion of the year at this year's Headline Money awards. The judges said she stood out as the best of the best, with stories and investigations that made a real difference to the lives of her readers. As well as tackling readers' problems every week, she exposed how EU citizens were wrongly receiving Ulez fines and councils' poor treatment of tenants' relatives after a death. She also forced Eurostar to reverse a wheelchair policy that had left travellers stranded. 'The impressive variety and depth of investigations was underpinned by a determination to get to the truth so that each one was carried out until a resolution was found,' they said. 'The impact of her work is demonstrated by the number of examples that led to some sort of regulatory change, or triggered a larger inquiry.' We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters is subject to our terms and conditions.
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Family SUVs face road tax hikes under new proposals pushed by Labour politicians
Family SUVs could be targeted with hikes in road tax and parking permits under proposals being pushed for by Labour politicians. The call for higher levies on large SUVs, often chosen by families for their space, came from Labour and Green party members of the London Assembly. The motion was passed this week amid concerns about 'car-spreading' – where more road space is taken up by larger vehicles – and calls on London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan to write to the Treasury and ask for vehicle excise duty (VED, or road tax) to incorporate a 'progressive' element that includes the vehicle's weight. If introduced, this would mean SUV-driving families in the UK face being hit with much larger road tax bills. Many SUV drivers already pay £600 for the first five years on new models under the premium car tax fee, which levies more against vehicles worth over £40,000. The standard road tax rate is £195 per year. The motion also asked London councils to look at hiking the cost of parking permits in the capital for SUVs, so as 'to account for pressure they put on road space and local parking spaces'. But critics accused Labour of declaring war on drivers, with AA president Edmund King, saying: 'It is up to Londoners to choose the type of vehicle that best fulfils their needs.'
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Guildford council trials night-time economy parking scheme
Night-time economy workers in Guildford will be able to park for less as part of a new Borough Council says it is rolling out parking permits for people working in pubs, clubs and restaurants which will let them park for less between 15:00 and 07:00 all scheme, a collaboration between the council and Experience Guildford, is currently limited to 100 annual permits priced at £150 as part of a trial from June until May Houston, Guildford lead council for commercial services, said: "We believe it will greatly benefit our night-time economy by providing affordable parking options when public transport is not available." Under the scheme, companies in Guildford can apply for permits on behalf of their staff. The permits are then tied to a car's registration permits will allow staff to park in eight car parks across the town: Bedford Road multi-storey, Bedford Road surface, Bright Hill, G Live, High Street, Leapale Road, Mary Road and Masters, chief executive of Experience Guildford, said: "This initiative offers affordable, secure parking for employees finishing late, helping businesses attract and retain the talent that keeps Guildford's evenings vibrant."
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Permits considered near Birmingham hospital and university
Residents parking permits might be introduced to stop people parking in streets near a busy City Council said a number of roads near the University of Birmingham and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital site suffered "significant pressures on parking".It said it was also working with the university and hospital to encourage as many people as possible to make their trips by public transport, cycling and are 17 roads being considered for inclusion in the parking permit scheme, which would operate between 09:00 and 17:00, Monday to Saturday. The council said increased car ownership and recent expansions at the university and hospital site had led to "a negative impact on access for deliveries, buses and waste vehicles, and on the safety of all road users".The proposal is part of a hospitals and university campus masterplan, an objective of which is "to reduce the demand for car based travel to the campus, and address the impact of congestion and on-street parking on the local community".The council has published more details on its website and has given people until 5 June to comment. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Mapped: Where UK councils have collected £360 million from parking permits over five years
Councils across the country have collected almost £360 million from residential parking permits in the last five years, new research has revealed. The 10 highest-earning councils generated more than £238 million alone, making up almost two-thirds of the total revenue, according to the figures. Only 128 councils responded with their figures, and in total, they raised a combined £359,939,225. Wandsworth Borough Council in south London topped the list, raising over £38.2 million from April 2020 to April 2024, according to the research from Cinch. Nine out of the ten councils which raised the most revenue from residential parking permits were London boroughs. Brighton and Hove City Council came third, raising £28,375,023 from 2020 to 2024. The map below shows how much London Borough councils raised from parking permits, according to Cinch: The top 10 councils by total revenue from residential permits were: Wandsworth Borough Council – £38,243,000 Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council – £31,519,135 Brighton and Hove City Council – £28,375,023 Islington Borough Council – £23,175,010 Hackney Borough Council – £23,070,334 Haringey Borough Council – £17,797,946 Lambeth Borough Council – £17,786,315 Waltham Forest Borough Council – £16,744,131 Brent Borough Council – £14,383,918 Tower Hamlets Borough Council – £13,770,108 Some councils across the country have seen significant growth in residential parking permit revenues in the past four years. Nottingham City Council saw the biggest percentage increase in the past four years, with a 2,009 per cent rise in revenue. The council received £4,280 in 2020, but that increased to £90,270 by 2024. Coventry City Council saw one of the largest increases in residential parking permit revenue over the past five years. In 2020, the council brought in £15,551, but by 2024, this figure had soared to £100,031 – a 543 per cent increase. The top 10 councils by revenue growth from residential permits were: Nottingham City Council – 2,009% Coventry City Council – 543% Aberdeenshire Council – 500% Hampshire County Council – 364% Hillingdon Borough Council – 282% Thurrock Borough Council – 269% Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead – 215% Cardiff Council – 214% Bracknell Forest Borough Council – 186% Powys County Council – 179%
