Proposal for a Feasibility Study for a Workplace Parking Levy in Cheltenham

13 March 2023

We need investment in sustainable transport infrastructure!

No-one disputes that local government is starved of investment – making it hard for either the borough council or the county council to build a continental standard, sustainable transport system in Cheltenham.

But there is one source of funding at local government level which has to be ring-fenced for sustainable transport infrastructure: the Workplace Parking Levy.

This has been pioneered by Nottingham City Council 10 years ago. Since they took the bold, innovative step to introduce Europe’s first Workplace Parking Levy (WPL), it has helped to improve Nottingham’s transport network at a pace which hasn’t been possible in other parts of the UK.

What has been the impact in Nottingham

• the scheme has raised over £90m which has been re-invested into sustainable transport across the city. It has also allowed Nottingham to secure inward investment of over £1 billion in transport, including £570 million for the tram network, £120 million for low and zero emission buses and £60 million to transform Nottingham Station into a 21st century multi-modal interchange
• the improved transport infrastructure has attracted new businesses to Nottingham: a 26% growth, and increase in employment of 20.8%, and unemployment rates falling by 6.3%
• 58% reduction in carbon emissions
• air pollution down such that they no longer need a Clean Air Zone.

Cheltenham Borough Council has commitments to:

• net zero emissions by 2030
• improving air quality
• making Cheltenham a more attractive place to work and live

As demonstrated in Nottingham (and other towns and cities), a Workplace Parking Levy has the potential to make major progress on all three objectives. There is no other policy initiative available to a local council that has comparable impact.

Clean Air Cheltenham has proposed that the council undertakes a Feasibility Study into a Workplace Parking Levy scheme, here in Cheltenham. We’ve asked them (through a question at the council meeting on March 20th) whether they will do this. We have sent them a full proposal, which you can download here.