Drivers of bigger and more polluting cars could be charged more to park in Bristol

Drivers of larger, heavier and more polluting cars could be charged more when paying to park in Bristol.

Plans are at the “very early stages” of being drawn up for a radical change in rules, which could also include reducing the space available for parking cars on the side of the road.

Transport bosses at Bristol City Council are being “heavily influenced” by Lambeth, where the London borough council is planning to turn a quarter of space along the side of streets into places for trees, benches and bicycle storage. Previously, 94% of kerbside space was for parking.

Lambeth bases the cost of a residents' parking permit based on the carbon dioxide emissions of their vehicle. Councillors on the transport policy committee will vote on 24 October on establishing a group to explore all the options.

A committee report said: "The project will include outlining our strategy for managing on-street, off-street and resident parking scheme parking, including pricing strategy, demand management and variations on pricing categories, e.g. weight, emissions and size-based pricing.

"The kerbside is currently dominated by parking and parking-related infrastructure and restrictions, which is out of step with corporate policies and a highly inefficient use of land. Reallocating space away from parking to other modes of transport will ensure residents and visitors to Bristol have more choice and can make the switch from private vehicles."

Larger cars, such as SUVs, have become more popular in Britain in recent years, taking up more space on congested city streets and emitting more carbon dioxide. Other European cities have also recently rolled out extra parking charges for larger cars, such as Paris and Bath.

The new task group will also explore a “gradual reallocation of [kerbside] space to sustainable modes of transport and alternative uses, e.g. tree planting, SUDs [sustainable drainage systems], cycle hangars and seating”. Councillors previously mentioned a potential ban on pavement parking, which could be rolled out in certain parts of the city.

The task group will likely meet online in private for about an hour every month, and the project is expected to take one year to develop. The council would then consult the public on any proposed changes to parking rules, before the transport committee takes the final decision.

Credit: Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service