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Cllr James Kempton |
Your vote can help drive out pollution
Should drivers of ‘gas-guzzlers’ pay more for parking? asks council leader James Kempton
LISTENING to Islington is my top priority as council leader. We are asking residents for their views more than ever before, listening, and acting on what we’ve heard. Listening to Islington is never more important than when we are considering changing the services we provide for people living in the borough.
Residents have told me they want Islington to be an environmentally friendly place in which to live and work – but one of the most difficult dilemmas we all face is how we are going to adapt our lifestyles to respond to climate change. Part of “listening” is sharing together some of the tough choices we all face and working out what is the right course of action for our borough.
That’s why we want to hear if residents think owners of “gas-guzzling” cars should pay more for parking permits, to encourage them to switch to greener, less-polluting vehicles. So we’re planning to ballot every Islington resident over this issue in a referendum this June.
The proposal is quite straightforward: people who own cars that give out the most harmful gases would pay more to park. Those driving “greener” vehicles will pay less.
The changes to the permit system would link residents’ parking permit charges to CO2 emission rates and vehicle engine size. The intention is that it would encourage people to consider switching to a different car.
If the new proposals went ahead, they would mean around two-thirds of people who already own more environmentally friendly cars would pay less for their parking permits than they are at present. But around a third would pay more. We anticipate the increases and decreases would balance out so the council would raise no money out of the change.
I’m sure there will be mixed views about our proposal to change parking permit charges. We all know we need to make changes to help tackle climate change – but not everyone agrees on what those changes should be.
I know there will be both supporters and opponents, and I look forward to engaging them in the debate. On one hand, residents have already shown overwhelming support for our green policies – for example, Islington has the fastest-increasing recycling rate in London, and the car club Streetcar recently confirmed Islington has its fastest-growing membership in the UK.
On the other hand, I know people are attached to their cars, but it would just be better if the cars we drove were less damaging to the environment.
If the proposals are agreed by residents, my partner’s car would fall into one of the higher payment brackets, and these proposals have certainly got the debate going round my own kitchen table.
But I also understand there will be a lot of people who feel this is a change they are not ready to make. They may feel there are other changes they would prefer to make to help combat climate change, rather than change the vehicle they drive.
We are not the sort of council that makes decisions behind closed doors. We want to take this issue out to everyone who lives here. The case for making the change, and the case against it, will both be made. And then it will be up to the people of Islington to decide.
You know my view, but it is your views that will matter – and I hope as many Islington residents as possible will use their right to vote on this very important issue. Ballot papers will be sent to you in early June, but you can start the debate now by emailing me at james.kempton@islington.gov.uk.
I’m proud to be leader of a council that is prepared to share this kind of choice with the community – and listen to Islington.
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