Hampshire County Council says there’s no intention to introduce a Workplace Parking Levy – Good News

I came across a statement on the Hampshire County Council website saying that there was no intention to consider the introduction of a workplace parking levy under the Local Transport Plan, and I’m delighted to hear it.

The website reports Councillor Mel Kendal, as saying: "Contrary to media reports today (23 August), Hampshire County Council is not examining the introduction of a workplace parking levy. The Local Transport Plan document, which is now out for consultation, sets out a transport strategy for the next 20 years and does not include any reference to the Workplace Parking Levy. Whilst it is recognised that parking is a strategic issue, I would like to make it clear that the County Council has no plans to implement these charges."

I have to drive to work as I do a school run on the way and there is no form of public transport that runs locally in the hours that would mean I could get to work and leave on time in any case. I would find it very difficult to continue working without having the benefit of a car-park at work.

Not all workplaces have their own car-parks, but for those that do it can be a real attraction when recruiting workers and can mean the difference between a potential employee being able to accept a position or not – particularly for women who so often have to juggle different responsibilities.

A workplace parking levy if it’s a revenue-enhancing exercise would be damaging financially particularly for small businesses, and while it may be very ‘green’ to encourage people to use other forms of transport, it’s also naive to think that people can switch arrangements regardless of other commitments.

If businesses were forced to close their car-parks, having to pay the high public car-parking charges would make a serious dent in many people’s pay-packets and perhaps even make it not worth continuing in the job.

With the introduction of flexible working employment laws making it easier for people to work the introduction of a workplace parking levy would make it harder for many and so be a retrograde step.

We should be doing all we can to support local businesses and to create as ‘staff-friendly’ a workplace environment as possible to enable people to work and businesses to keep/recruit their staff.

So good for Hampshire County Council.