Cardiff Council's Cabinet has announced that it does not back a congestion charge as the preferred road-user payment option for the city, supporting instead a Workplace Parking Levy.
A Workplace Parking Levy is a charge to certain businesses for parking spaces on their premises. The council would use the money raised to improve the quality and frequency of bus services in the city and to make them more affordable, providing commuters with a high quality and reliable alternative to the car, it said.
It added that it has spent time learning from cities like Nottingham which have successfully introduced a Workplace Parking Levy. Nottingham's scheme places an annual charge on parking spaces on business premises located within the local authority area. Their scheme mainly applies to larger businesses and organisations, with many smaller businesses and places like hospitals exempt. Other cities, such as Bristol, are also actively exploring this approach.
In researching Nottingham's successful experience, Cardiff Council found that there are choices around how a scheme can be implemented. The local authority would therefore hold a residents and business consultation to ensure the best options are taken forward for Cardiff, it said. The consultation would begin in the summer, subject to Cabinet's approval of the report when it meets on Thursday, 16th July.
While a Workplace Parking Levy is recommended as the preferred option to explore, the option of a congestion charge, alongside a ‘Do-Nothing' option, will also be included in the consultation.
Cllr Dan De'Ath, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Strategic Planning and Transport, said:
“Creating a high-quality public transport system to support economic growth in Cardiff is important to the city's future and this has been set out in our 10-year Transport Strategy.
“Cardiff already has the highest level of car ownership of any UK Core City, and that is putting increasing pressure on our road network. Without action, congestion will worsen, affecting journey times, air quality and the city's ability to grow, thrive and develop.
“The public have told us their priority is a much cheaper, more convenient and reliable bus service. If approval is given by Cabinet to consult with the public, we will still need to look at a number of measures, as required by law, but the assessments carried out to date indicate that the Workplace Parking Levy would be our preference, as it has less impact on local residents and business, but can still help to raise funds for transport improvements.
“Any scheme developed for Cardiff would be designed with fairness in mind, including exemptions and support for essential users. However, without introducing something like this we will never be able to afford the public transport network that residents deserve.”
Since April 2023, Cardiff Council's Cabinet has been committed to identifying ways to raise extra money to invest in public transport, the council said.
Cllr De'Ath added:
“We are committed to working with residents, businesses and stakeholders as we develop these proposals. Cardiff must act now to deliver cleaner air, better transport and a stronger and a more productive city.”
Any scheme would require Welsh Government legislation under the Transport Act 2000 to provide the legal framework for implementation.
