Car park tax not an option

31 August 2010, 06:00

The Leader of Gloucestershire County Council has ruled out taxing businesses for their parking spaces.

Other councils, like Bristol, Nottingham and Leeds are considering the move to help balance their books.

Instead the council are running an ad in the Bristol Evening Post, encouraging Bristol businesses unhappy with the proposed parking tax to consider relocating to Gloucestershire instead!. 

All highways authorities have the power to levy a Workplace Parking Levy under the Transport Act 2000.  This allows councils to charge businesses with more than 10 parking spaces an annual fee for each parking space.  Nottingham City Council, whose plans for this are the most advanced, has proposed a fee of £350 per parking space, per year for businesses in their area and it is likely other councils introducing the tax would charge a similar amount.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said:

“In Gloucestershire we welcome and support new and existing businesses.

“They provide the jobs, goods and services that make this county work.  I am not going to chase businesses or jobs out of Gloucestershire with extra taxes on parking spaces.

“Gloucestershire is a great place to start or move a business.  If companies in Bristol, Nottingham, or elsewhere in Britain are looking to relocate as a result of these charges, or the congestion that some councils have complained of, then Gloucestershire would make them very welcome indeed.”

ENDS