Camden News - by PAUL KIELTHY Published: 19 March 2009
‘Green charges’ to hit motorists
“GREEN” parking charges for council estate residents are set to go ahead despite the Town Hall admitting the recession has had an impact on the scheme on the borough’s streets. The council is in the last stages of consultation on plans to introduce a scale of charges for parking permits in housing estates that are linked to carbon emissions, making “gas-guzzling” cars more expensive to park.
Although the final charges have yet to be agreed, the scheme will resemble the on-street version, in which a band G car – like a Renault Espace 2l or a large Range Rover – is charged £145 a year, while a band A vehicle – like a small Seat Ibiza – pays £70.
But, as officials admitted this week, the jury is still out on the borough-wide version of the emissions-based permit scheme.
A report into its effectiveness, originally due last year but delayed until last week, has now been postponed again until an unknown date later this year.
A council press official said it was too early to determine the results of the project, which was introduced in August 2007, adding: “It’s clear that the recession is impacting heavily on car sales, and is almost certainly impacting on any resident decision to trade in for a new vehicle.”