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No upper charge limit on new workplace parking levy

10th February 2022

The Scottish Government is handing powers to councils to introduce workplace parking levels, as authorities can do in England and Wales, which would mean workers wishing to park at their work would face a fee or charge – unless the employer decides to pay the costs itself.

Local authorities who are considering a workplace parking levy will have to undertake their own consultation and impact assessments before deciding whether to implement such a scheme and how it should be designed and operate in their area. 

In Nottingham, employers with more than 10 staff parking spaces are required to pay just over £400 per space to the council with the funding used to pay for the city’s tram extension and other public transport projects.

Speaking at Holyrood’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, Scottish Government Transport Minister, Jenny Gilruth, confirmed that it will be up to local authorities to set how much each parking space will be charged at.

Responding to the Transport Minister’s Workplace Parking Levy comments at the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee in the Scottish Parliament earlier today, Dr Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce said:

“Scotland’s businesses have consistently opposed the introduction of the Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) in Scotland due to the additional financial burden it places on businesses and their employees.

“Businesses are still recovering from the financial impact of the pandemic, which has severely reduced trade and significantly increased costs over the past two years, hitting our town and city centres hard.

“By failing to impose a cap on charges, businesses across Scotland will now face a postcode lottery and some difficult decisions at a critical point in their recovery.

“Many businesses are concerned that local authorities, whose budgets are already stretched, may now seek to implement this levy as a revenue stream rather than for purely environmental reasons.

“To support Scotland’s economic recovery, the Scottish Government should think again about the negative impact that unlimited workplace parking levy charges will have on Scotland’s businesses.”

Watch Committee Session - Workplace Parking Licensing Scotland Regulations 2022

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