BANKRUPT COUNCIL CONSIDERS CHARGING FOR USE OF FREE CAR PARKING SPACES

A bankrupt council is considering charging workers to use free company car parking spaces.

The proposal by Croydon Council is aimed at encouraging more drivers to walk, cycle or use public transport to get to the office.

But critics say the idea could leave staff facing bills of hundreds of pounds each year, The Sun reported.

Croydon Council - which went bankrupt for the third time in 2022 with debts of £1.6billion - has been selling off assets, raising council tax, cutting services and desperately trying to find new ways to generate cash.

The south London authority is in such dire financial straits that it has been bailed out twice in four years by central Government.

At one stage, a sixth of its annual budget - £47million - was being spent on debt repayments.

The new scheme - known as a workplace parking levy (WPL) - would be imposed on businesses with 11 or more privately-owned car parking spaces.

Bosses would then choose whether to pay from their budget or pass the cost on to employees.

The money raised would be spent on improving public transport to increase options for commuters.

However, critics have branded the levy as ‘preposterous’, adding that the council should be getting their own house in order.

Benjamin Elks, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance think-tank, said: ‘Croydon should park this preposterous policy.

‘Bankrupt Croydon is scrambling for cash through council tax rises and now new taxes on private companies.

‘Instead of squeezing businesses they should scrap wasteful spending if they want to fix their finances.’

Other authorities said to be looking at introducing similar schemes include Leicester, Reading, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cambridge, Bristol and Oxford.

To date, Nottingham, which charges £415 per parking space per year, is the only British city to have introduced a WPL.

The scheme has generated about £90million in 12 years since it was launched and has paid for two tram line extensions.

Last year, Croydon Council was criticised for spending thousands on useless CCTV cameras to catch motorists using rat runs near schools.

The equipment from American supplier Conduent proved incompatible with British number plates.

According to a recent report, the council’s streets and environment sub-committee were ‘encouraged’ that officers were looking into the ‘possible adoption’ of a WPL.

But a spokesman said: ‘The council is not committing to the workplace parking levy and it is not included in our current parking policy.’

2024-07-21T16:34:04Z dg43tfdfdgfd