Parking tax poll - council admits 83% are against plan
NOTTINGHAM City Council's consultation on the workplace parking levy yielded 100 responses – with 83 against.
A council official giving evidence to MPs also admitted the charge would not be effective in reducing congestion.
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Traffic jams
MPs on the Commons Transport Select Committee were quizzing project manager Jason Gooding in Westminster.
One committee member claimed the levy faced a "severe level of objection" and questioned whether the council had properly consulted.
Mr Gooding said: "From the public consultation that we undertook we did a lot of work, mainly we did a lot of communications to try and get businesses to participate.
"Of the 3,500 businesses that would be liable for the levy, during the public consultation exercise of 12 weeks, 100 businesses responded."
He added that 83 had objected while 17 were either neutral or supportive.
He said council employees could have been among the favourable respondents.
Labour MP Graham Stringer responded: "83% – that is a pretty severe level of objection.
"If 83% gives the charge a green light what would have to happen, what would the threshold of objection have to be for the council to reconsider this?"
The council official said: "We need to highlight that a public consultation is not a referendum, it is not a vote."
The council's figures correspond with a survey of 14,742 individuals carried out by the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce – which showed 80% of people opposing the levy.
Mr Stringer said he knew the difference between a consultation and a referendum and asked if the council was just "going through the motions" of a consultation.
Mr Gooding responded: "In terms of the motions – we [have been] going through the public consultation motions, which is a mandatory requirement that we do that."
48 Comments
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by Chris, Nottingham
Sunday, February 01 2009, 9:35AM
“Why are the council continuing to waste public money on this nonsense when it is clear nobody wants it? Whatever happened to democracy in this country. It is time the councillors backing this waste of our money were named and shamed - and voted out of office.”
by C, Nottingham
Friday, January 30 2009, 11:20AM
“I tell you what, if, let's say in a dream world, everyone thought "ah, I'll not drive to work, I'll get the bus" then companies would have to pay the charge as it's per space not car. if a congestion charge were used, and people stopped driving in, then they'd not get the money for the tram. So regardless it's unfair. Typical JC.”
by Anonymous, Nottingham Business Park
Friday, January 30 2009, 11:00AM
“I would be less against (but still not in favour of) this if there were adequate bus routes to Nottingham Business Park, where I work.
As it is, it would take me 2.5 hours to get to work by public transport, which involves an hour of walking and would involve me going into the city centre. By car it takes between 30 and 45 minutes and the closest I get to the city centre Nottingham Business Park itself (which for those of you who don't know, is within sight of J26 of the M1, hardly "in the city").
A congestion charge for the city centre would be a much better idea all round.”
by Daz, Nottingham
Friday, January 30 2009, 10:44AM
“By not asking all the businesses that will beaffected the council have left a gaping hole through which they can squirm when the result of their poll goes wrong for them. It is an old political ploy to ask the minority a question and if it does not go the way they want they can spin it in their favour and do just what they want anyway.
This is why the people of Nottingham are going to be cheated out of even more cash just for the right to go to work.
The council has now admitted that the scheme will not reduce congestion so the WPL is no longer a stealth tax, it is now a direct tax.”
by Margaret, Nottingham
Friday, January 30 2009, 9:51AM
“This levy is another way to raise funds for the tram. How will congestion be eased just because we have paid £180 to park when we get to work? There is no public transport to get me or the majority of my colleagues to Nottingham Business Park and the tram wont help anyone either. The Council are on a mission to bring in the charge to pay for the tram extension. Its another tax by another name on an easy target ~ the motorist.”