HomeNewsParking charges should begin at home for greedy councils

Parking charges should begin at home for greedy councils

August 16, 2018

Edinburgh Council could be the first local authority in Scotland to charge businesses for allowing employees to park at work.

In England, Nottingham charges firms £402 each year per space, raising a reported £9million a year, with other authorities planning to follow suit.

Now Scottish council leaders are licking their lips at the thought of millions more to spend on their pet projects. The Scottish government would have to agree, but anything which clobbers the motorist is a foregone conclusion. There is a risk that businesses would relocate outside the city – some could even decamp to England.

All 32 councils in Scotland have exclusive car parks for their own staff. There are 244,300 public sector employees and 1,223 councillors, which means lots of cars emitting lots of fumes. Councils should lead by example and charge their employees and councillors £402 a year for parking before hammering businesses. Holyrood and Edinburgh council would be the obvious places to start.

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