Park Green - Emission based charging for parking permitsWhat are the benefits of the ‘park green’ scheme? What was the main motivation behind the scheme? Does this mean I will have to pay more for my permit? I was not consulted about permit scheme changes – how were permit holders contacted? There are already more permits than spaces available – will this scheme help solve this problem? How many permits will my household be able to get under the new scheme? Is it the right time to introduce this in the face of the economic downturn? Why a permit scheme - parked cars don’t cause pollution? But I’ve heard the council doesn’t measure CO2? What about the effect on disabled people? My vehicle runs on LPG – will I get a discount on my permit? Will residents living outside the Controlled Parking Zone be encouraged to buy greener cars? Is the Council satisfied that is has the backing of the public? What other plans does the Council have to improve air quality? How will this proposal make a difference? What does the Council hope will be achieved?
What are the benefits of the ‘park green’ scheme? The Council wanted to introduce a permit scheme to reward environmentally friendly behaviour, with a charging structure based on the carbon dioxide emissions or engine size of a vehicle to help improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas pollution.
What was the main motivation behind the scheme? The initial thinking was based on an increasing recognition that vehicle emissions are one of the main and fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas pollution contributing to climate change.
The Council has a duty to meet local air quality standards set by the European Union by 2010 and, unless we acted fast, were at risk of failing to meet the standards set. Monitoring of air quality levels at several locations across Edinburgh city centre were of sufficiently high concentrations to warrant wider measures. The majority of these identified pollution hotspots fall within Controlled Parking Zones (CPZ).
Other Councils across the UK, the first of which was Richmond, have successfully introduced the scheme and Edinburgh will lead the way in Scotland.
Another major objective of the scheme is to limit the growing pressure on parking space in the city centre, hence the thinking behind the introduction of a surcharge for all second permits.
Beyond our own city limits, the Capital hopes to pave the way for other local authorities across Scotland to follow suit. Does this mean I will have to pay more for my permit? The majority of permit holders will pay less for their permit or will see no change in their permit cost. Figures indicate that the ‘Park Green’ scheme will result in a loss of income for the Council.
See our table of different vehicle types to see whether you'd pay more or less under the plans. I was not consulted about permit scheme changes – how were permit holders contacted? Approximately, 60,000 ‘Park Green’ leaflets were printed and hand delivered to all households within the Controlled Parking Zone. Individuals were given the opportunity to express their views by means of an online survey, by email or in writing. Community councils were also contacted and asked to comment on the proposals. To allow members of the public to communicate their views in person and ask any questions, staff also attended a number of Neighbourhood Partnership meetings. In addition, during the three month consultation period, a ‘Park Green’ leaflet was sent out with every permit renewal. There are already more permits than spaces available – will this scheme help solve this problem? The park green scheme is designed to encourage people to consider the choices they make when changing their vehicle. It’s hoped that raising awareness of environmental issues may encourage people to consider choosing smaller or more environmentally friendly vehicles, or consider the necessity of a second car. Also if more smaller cars are on-street then this too would provide more parking for permit holders with more vehicles being able to park within each permit parking area.
The introduction of the park green initiative is intended to coincide with other Council initiatives, such as the rollout of shared use parking to Zones 1-8, designed to increase the availability and flexibility of parking spaces across the CPZ. How many permits will my household be able to get under the new scheme? It is anticipated that each household will be able to apply for a maximum of two permits. It will cost more for a second permit, but the costs will depend on the carbon dioxide emissions/engine size of the vehicles and the zone of the city in which you live. Is it the right time to introduce this in the face of the economic downturn? It is worth remembering that the vast majority of permit holders will be no worse off, with over half better off, once the scheme is introduced. In other words, the Council is creating an avenue for drivers to save money – and the environment – when, arguably, they need it most. Why a permit scheme - parked cars don’t cause pollution? Although it is a charge applied to parked cars, for every mile that a car is driven it would pollute more than a more environmentally friendly car would if driven over the same distance. But I’ve heard the council doesn’t measure CO2? The City Council does not specifically measure CO2, it does however measure Oxides of Nitrogren and other emissions that have a direct/immediate impact on public health.
Road transport is the largest single source of CO2 after power generation. It is also the most significant source of Oxides of Nitrogen emissions in the energy sector.
This approach is consistent is with that of the UK Government, which uses CO2 emissions as its measurement for tax purposes.
Information on estimated CO2 emissions from the Edinburgh area can be found in the State of the Environment Audit 2008
What about the effect on disabled people? People with ‘Blue Badges’ (Disabled Parking Badges) will be unaffected by the scheme. My vehicle runs on LPG – will I get a discount on my permit? The cost of a residential permit will be based on either the carbon dioxide emissions (g/km) or cylinder capacity (cc) as detailed in the Vehicle Registration Document V5C. If, therefore, the vehicle’s V5C document is updated to show the conversion to LPG then this would be taken into consideration. Will residents living outside the Controlled Parking Zone be encouraged to buy greener cars? We hope that all everyone using Edinburgh’s roads will consider the environmental impact of the vehicles that they drive. However, we can only introduce schemes like ‘Park Green’ into the Controlled Parking Zones where an existing permit scheme is in place. Is the Council satisfied that is has the backing of the public? Despite already having a very clear political mandate to proceed with the scheme (from when it was first proposed July 08), the Council took on the additional step of undertaking an extensive public consultation, during which existing or potential permit holders had every opportunity to make their views heard.
The consultation demonstrated overwhelming public support for the scheme, with almost three-quarters (73.2%) of 1,670 respondents in favour. This level of support compares well to that of Richmond’s, where only 49% supported the scheme.
Residents will have a further opportunity to have their say during the statutory ‘Traffic Regulation Order’ process, which the Council must go through prior to introducing the scheme next year. What other plans does the Council have to improve air quality? The Council has been, and will continue to be, extremely supportive of any initiative that supports its commitment to providing a broad range of intelligent and environmentally-friendly transport options.
The Council has an Air Quality Action Plan 2008-2010 (at TIE Committee 23rd Sept 08) and is taking a range of measures to tackle the issue of air quality.
The Council is about to agree a sustainable travel plan which will effect real reductions in its own emissions and some council services are also trailing the use of electric vehicles, such as Parking Attendants scooters.
The tram scheme will undoubtedly contribute to the reduction of CO2.
The hugely successful City Car Club membership continues to grow, helping to reduce the number of cars on our roads and, with that, congestion and harmful emissions.
As key sustainable transport option cycling addresses both congestion and healthy lifestyles. Initiatives include the Rodney Street Tunnel re-opening and looking long term by signing up to the ambitious targets of the Brussels charter, where the Council is aiming to get 15% of all City journeys made by bike by 2020.
We are also working in partnership with bus operators and freight companies to identify measures that will cut emissions. How will this proposal make a difference? It is hoped that when residents come to change their car they will be more aware of CO2 emission. ‘Local Leadership’ is needed to affect a major impact on climate change and we should not always leave it to others to make a difference. While this scheme is focused around the car, it is hoped that many people will increase their awareness and there will be a knock on effect with all residents becoming more aware of their environmental impact. What does the Council hope will be achieved? First and foremost, the Council hopes to encourage residents to switch to vehicles with lower emissions, hence improving Edinburgh’s air quality and, ultimately, the environment. And, for those that do, they will be duly rewarded with a saving on their permit. For more information, you can read the full Council report. This explains the charges proposed for vehicles with different engine sizes, as well as how much revenue from permit purchases will drop with this new proposal, see the Appendices to the Council report. Contacts
Name: City Development, Transport, Parking Operations
Address: City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1YJ
Tel: 0131 469 3698
E-mail: controlledparkingzone
Related links Did you know ?
Only those whose vehicles are in proposed Band 5 would pay more for their residents' parking permits.
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