London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

UK councils ‘holding public spaces hostage’ with cheap parking

UK councils ‘holding public spaces hostage’ with cheap parking

Climate group data shows it is 115 times more expensive to suspend a parking bay than pay for a permit
Councils have been accused of allowing public spaces to be “held hostage” by motorists after the huge difference in cost between parking charges and the cost of suspending parking was revealed.

The latest figures, published by the climate charity Possible, lay bare the significant cost increase between a parking permit, used for vehicles such as cars and vans, and the cost of parking bay suspensions to use the space for other purposes.

It is 115 times more expensive to suspend a parking bay in the UK, with an average weekly cost of £158.06, than to pay for a parking permit, which has an average weekly cost of £1.38, the data showed.

Parking bay suspensions can be used for a variety of reasons, including for skips and moving properties, but also have been used as community spaces for seating, gardens or cycle parking.

Possible’s head of car-free cities, Hirra Khan Adeogun, accused local authorities of allowing private cars to dominate public spaces and called for people to be prioritised over private vehicle use.

“We’re letting private cars hold our public space hostage,” she said. “The fact that some cities aren’t even charging for parking just goes to show how local politicians are missing opportunities to break cities free from car dominance.”

According to a study by the pro-motoring thinktank the RAC Foundation, cars remain parked and unused for an average of 23 hours a day, with the average car or van in England driven just 4% of the time, a figure that has barely changed over the past 25 years.

Khan Adeogun added: “Most of the time private cars are going completely unused and taking up valuable public space.

“We need to shift to a better system, one that prioritises people over private vehicles, gives space for communities to thrive and makes them happier, healthier, and greener places to live.”

The research found Nottingham, Bradford and Leeds had no weekly charge for a parking permit but the weekly cost for parking bay suspensions were £23.38, £70 and £187.60 respectively.

In Liverpool, the weekly cost of a parking permit is a mere 4p but it costs £193 for a weekly parking bay suspension.

While obtaining a parking permit in London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Bristol, Newcastle and Manchester was more expensive, the report found there were still “considerable discrepancies” between those costs and the cost of a parking bay suspension.

Across those six cities, parking bay suspensions were between 33 and 353 times more expensive than a parking permit. The most expensive weekly parking permit was in Manchester at £4.33.

Possible is calling on local councils to reconsider the costs of parking permits to better reflect the effects of car ownership on the rest of society through pollution, road danger and loss of space.

Rob Bryher, Possible’s car-free Bristol campaigner, said: “The shocking disparities between the figures for different cities shows just how inconsistent the approach is to helping communities reclaim public spaces dominated by car parking.

“In Bristol alone, a parking bay suspension is 256 times more expensive than paying for a residential parking permit, which is completely locking communities out from seeing the possibilities of their streets no longer acting as car parks.

“We have to empower communities to transform their streets so they can reconnect with each other and with a little bit of nature, all while fighting for the climate in the process.”

Some spaces previously used for vehicle parking have been repurposed for community use, such as public seating or bicycle parking.

The charity wants to see an “affordable and easy process” for residents to “reclaim public space in ways that bring communities together, reduce car dominance and help the climate”.

David Renard, a transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said:: “Councils have to manage competing demands when setting charges for on street parking and suspended bays and take into account local circumstances.

“Suspended bays provide very limited additional road space and are commonly used to help with building renovations and house removals.

“Councils are working hard to find other ways to encourage more walking and cycling in local communities, such as the introduction of low-traffic neighbourhoods.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×