25/10/2006

London Council to impose permit hike

A London Council wants to charge residents of gas-guzzling vehicles to pay more for permits to park outside their homes, in a quest to target emissions and congestion problems.

The Liberal Democrat controlled Richmond Borough Council, in south west London, has drawn up a plan to introduce charges of three times as much for the likes of high powered sports cars, 4x4s and people carriers.

The cars with the highest emissions could face annual charges of £750 per year, compared to £200, which they pay now.

Environmentally friendly electric cars would not be charged at all, while others would qualify for a reduction up to 50 per cent.

Leader of Richmond upon Thames’s Lib Dem council, Serge Lourie said: “Climate change is the single greatest challenge facing the world today.

“Richmond upon Thames is one of the highest CO2-emitting boroughs in London. For too long, it has been seen as a problem that only central governments or international organisations could address.

“The truth is that we must all start acting now at a local level.”

The news comes after Lib Dem leader Menzies Campbell placed green issues at the forefront of the party’s future agenda, when he won backing for environmental tax plans at the party’s conference in September.

If the plans go ahead, when the council host their cabinet meeting on November 6, the cost of parking will rise from £100 to £300.

This echoes London mayor Ken Livingstone’s sliding scale congestion charges, with lower charges for low-emission cars and higher charges for urban 4x4 vehicles, dubbed “Chelsea tractors.”

(JM)

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