By John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter: Many people in Bath who drive bigger cars will soon have to pay more to park them outside their homes.
Bath and North East Somerset Council is set to introduce size-based pricing for residents’ parking permits. In what has been dubbed an “SUV tax,” people whose vehicles take up more space on the street will have to pay a surcharge, while people with smaller cars will get a discount.
Council cabinet member Joel Hirst said: “Research shows that larger vehicles like SUVs pose a greater risk to pedestrians and cyclists in collisions, with children particularly vulnerable. By introducing size-based permit charges, we are encouraging the use of smaller, safer and cleaner vehicles.”
The rollout will start from August 25. Under the new charges, a Smart car owner will get a £20 discount on their permit each year, while someone with a Land Rover Discovery or Ford Galaxy will pay just over £41 more. For someone with the largest model of Ford Transit, the surcharge will be £112.
The size-based charge applies on top of the emissions-based charge that drivers already pay. When you put in your number plate to apply for a residents’ parking permit, council systems look up how polluting your vehicle is and apply an additional charge. A similar system is planned for the size-based charges. Where no data is available, people will be able to submit their own photo evidence.
The council also says it will increase the cost of a residents’ parking permit by 20% generally and begin phased increases to the cost of visitor permits. Resident parking zones now cover large parts of Bath but there are concerns that they have just pushed problem parking into other areas of the city.
The sized-based surcharge will be higher for a second vehicle at the same address. Residents’ parking permits remain free of charge for blue badge holders.
The council also plans to introduce new parking charges on Weston Road and increase the cost of parking at Bath’s park and rides without using the bus from £3 to £4. Cllr Hirst said: “These changes will help us manage parking in a way that supports road safety, sustainability and fairness for all road users.”
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The journalists are funded by the BBC as part of its latest Charter commitment, but are employed by regional news organisations. A total of 165 reporters are allocated to news organisations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland including Bath Voice. These organisations range from television and radio stations to online media companies and established regional newspaper groups. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities, second-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.