Bath and North East Somerset Council is proposing a new pricing structure for residential parking permits that could see owners of larger vehicles, such as SUVs and vans, paying significantly more to park near their homes.
Building on their existing emissions-based parking charges, the council aims to add a size-based element to the pricing. Under the proposed scheme, owners of smaller vehicles like Smart cars would receive a £20 annual discount on their permit costs, while owners of the largest vans, such as the Ford Transit, could face an increase of up to £112.
The council highlights safety concerns as a key reason behind this initiative. “Studies indicate that larger and taller vehicles—such as SUVs and vans—are more likely to cause serious injuries or fatalities in collisions with pedestrians, particularly children, due to factors like higher bonnets and increased blind spots,” a council spokesperson explained.
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This proposal marks the second round of public consultation, with about 500 residents previously sharing their views. The feedback was evenly split, with 50% supporting the idea, 44% opposing it, and 6% undecided.
Joel Hirst, the council’s Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport Strategy, emphasized the importance of community input, saying, “We want to hear from as many residents as possible, which is why we’ve reopened consultation via a formal traffic regulation order.”
He added, “Managing parking effectively impacts road safety and fairness, while supporting essential council services. By incentivizing smaller, safer, and cleaner vehicles through lower permit fees, we also aim to improve air quality across Bath.”
However, some residents have raised concerns about the financial burden this might place on large families who rely on people-carriers. For example, the charge increase for a Ford Galaxy would be more than double that for an Aston Martin Vantage V8, reflecting the council’s focus on size rather than luxury.
Resident Parking Zones (RPZs) already cover much of Bath, though their expansion has been contentious due to worries about displaced parking in neighboring areas.
The current consultation also seeks public opinion on related proposals, including increasing visitor RPZ permit costs over the next three years, requiring vehicles to hold a valid MOT before issuing parking permits, and raising charges for using Bath’s Park & Ride facilities without boarding the buses—from £3 to £4.
Manda Rigby, Cabinet Member for Communications and Community, underscored the value of Bath’s three Park & Ride sites. “These provide fast, frequent, and convenient services into the city, with free parking for users. We want to hear your views on proposals to increase parking fees for those who use the Park & Ride sites as car parks but do not take the buses.”
Residents have until 5pm on 18 June to share their views through the council’s consultation process.