Charges: Residents are to pay new parking fees based on CO2 emissions

Barking and Dagenham parking charges - Take part in our exclusive poll

John Phillips , Senior Reporter Tuesday, August 7, 2012
1:00 PM

Parking chiefs sparked anger this summer after unveiling plans to introduce “gas guzzler” charges in residential streets.

Motorists pledged to boycott the new “controlled parking zones”, which force them to pay annual fees based on the size of car engines and their carbon emissions.

Residents said the new CPZs were a “money making” scheme after it emerged annual parking fees paid by households could increase by up to 100 per cent, while others who had not paid for parking last year could end up forking out £100 for two medium-sized cars.

But following protests Barking and Dagenham Council decided not to introduce the parking restrictions in several streets on Leftley Estate in Barking.

The Labour council also promised to extend its consultation on CPZs in these three streets, namely Lyndhurst Gardens, Shirley Gardens and Hurstbourne Gardens.

However, motorists in other parts of Barking and Dagenham have not been given this luxury and face having to pay the new fees from this month.

Do you think the council is right to introduce these changes in Barking and Dagenham? Tell us by taking part in our exclusive online poll.