Cardiff Council’s Cabinet has approved a 10-year strategy on parking.
The local authority said the City Parking Plan was a cornerstone of Cardiff’s wider Transport Strategy, aiming to reduce congestion, improve air quality, and make the city’s streets safer and more accessible. It includes the introduction of surcharges for oversized and highly polluting vehicles.
Key features of the City Parking Plan include:
- Three Parking Management Areas: Cardiff will be divided into City & Civic Centre, Inner, and Outer Areas, each with tailored parking policies to reflect local needs.
- Introduction of Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs): All on-street parking in the Central Area will be managed through CPZs, with operational hours and rules designed to prioritise residents, blue badge holders, essential services, and local businesses.
- Permit Reforms: New types of permits will be rolled out, including for residents, students, businesses, carers, and community premises. Surcharges will be introduced for oversized and highly polluting vehicles, while motorcycles will now require permits to park in resident bays.
- Visitor Parking Changes: Residents will be able to get daily visitor permits, but hourly ones will still be available. To prevent misuse, there will be a limit on how many visitor permits can be used.
- Support for Vulnerable Groups: The plan prioritises blue badge holders and introduces new permits for professional and unpaid carers.
The council said the operational days and times of parking controls in the Outer Area will be set in consultation with communities, which it said would “ensure schemes meet real-world needs”.
Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Strategic Planning & Transport, Cllr Dan De’Ath, said:
“Our new City Parking Plan is a vital step towards a Stronger Fairer Greener and more accessible future. By listening to residents and businesses, we’re ensuring that our streets work for everyone – supporting local communities, tackling congestion, and helping us meet our climate goals. This plan is about making Cardiff a better place to live, work, and visit for years to come.
“But we recognise that parking is a finite resource and that difficult choices must be made to balance the needs of residents, businesses, visitors, and vulnerable groups. The City Parking Plan aims to support the city’s climate emergency response by encouraging cleaner vehicles and sustainable travel, reduce commuter parking in residential areas, make parking rules simpler and more consistent, and ensure fair access for all, including those with additional mobility needs.”
The introduction of surcharges on larger vehicles was welcomed by Clean Cities, one of the founder members of The SUV Alliance, a campaign made up of a coalition of 19 environmental and transport groups. The Alliance has published a manifesto calling for changes to Vehicle Excise Duty to tax SUVs and the heaviest and most polluting vehicles more when they are sold and allowing local authorities to introduce higher parking charges on SUVs and other heavier, more polluting vehicles.
Oliver Lord, UK Head of Clean Cities, said:
“Cardiff is showing real vision by standing up to the SUV carspreading that’s taking over our streets. It’s only fair that those driving the biggest, heaviest and most polluting vehicles pay more for the extra space and danger they bring. This is a common-sense policy that will make our city streets safer, cleaner and fairer for everyone. Other cities across the UK could learn from Cardiff’s leadership.”
The council said that feedback had led to significant changes, including merging the Bay and Outer Areas for simpler administration, greater flexibility for visitor permits, and revised eligibility for student and business permits.
Now the plan has been approved by Cabinet, the implementation will be phased over the next 10 years, with ongoing engagement and regular reviews. All new parking schemes will be subject to further local consultation and statutory processes.
