• Home
• Ask The Expert
• Business Awards 2010
• Business Network Online
• Chamber Publications
• Company Credit Checks
• Contact Us
• DNCC Business Guides
• Member to Member Services
• Members Briefings
• Members Directory
• News & Press Releases
• Quarterly Economic Survey
• Submit News Article
• Vacancies
• Virtual Office Service
• Workplace Parking Levy
• Your Members Account

Nottingham: Stop the Workplace Parking Levy Campaign

The Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce believes that a Workplace Parking Levy is an ill-conceived policy that would damage the competitiveness of businesses, would reduce investment in the city and would cost jobs. If introduced, it would present companies with a clear, but anti-competitive choice: either they must absorb the charge themselves or pass it on to their employees and administer their payments - more taxes or more red tape. Businesses could also seek to relocate away from the charging area to avoid the tax.

The Chamber has been fighting the workplace parking levy (WPL) for almost 10 years through its leadership of the Stop the WPL Campaign. The Campaign had already achieved a delay in implementation of 5 Years. It is also highly critical of the process of consultation with employers on the WPL. This position has been supported by the Transport Select Committee that concluded that the consultation with businesses on the WPL was "deeply flawed".

Despite these concerns Government has given the go ahead for the WPL as a way of raising part of the local contribution towards the two NET extensions. The implementation of the WPL has been put back by another two years until April 2012.   Employers would have to apply for licences for their car parking spaces by October 2011 but would not be charged for these until April 2012. Government will provide the shortfall in income resulting from the delay in implementation.

Whilst deeply disappointed by the decision, it could be seen as a partial lobbying victory for the campaign that will save businesses a further £13m. 

On behalf of a number of employers the Chamber investigated the possibility of mounting a legal challenge to the WPL but after receiving barrister's advice the employers decided that it was not sensible to pursue such a challenge further. 

The Chamber has continued to lobby senior opposition politicians at local and national level and will continue to raise business concerns in the run up to the election through local hustings events.