Oxfordshire growth arc set for £100m workplace parking levy

Oxfordshire County Council is set to approve plans for a workplace parking levy to raise up to £100m for new bus, cycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

The council’s cabinet will next week vote on the proposals, which are being drawn up in conjunction with Oxford City Council.

3rd LATIF NORTH
March 25th, 2020, Manchester
Council treasury investment & borrowing

The levy would see employers in the city’s Eastern Arc growth area charged between £400 and £600 annually for every parking space they provide.

An officers report going to councillors said: “If we are to transform how people travel to and within Oxford and provide enough capacity to meet future travel demand, investment is needed to improve pedestrian, cycle and public transport routes to make sure these are more attractive to users.

“We must also focus on measures that provide sustained traffic reduction and support increased modal shift away from private car travel.

“In recognition of this, the OTS proposes a workplace parking levy, traffic restrictions and parking controls.”

The council said that funding for the next stage of the work would cost £1.6m, for which funding has already been secured from the county’s recent housing and growth deal with central government.

The costs for the next stage would cover transport & emissions modelling and research;  transport strategy development & highway design; social & economic impact assessments; cost and income models; preparation of the business case documentation; stakeholder engagement & consultation, including a possible public inquiry; legal advice and support; project management support.

A timetable prepared for the council says that development of a detailed scheme and a DfT compliant business case would be undertaken between early 2020 and Autumn 2021.

Nottingham City Council implemented a workplace levy in 2012, with an annual charge per parking space of £415.

According to an officer report to Oxfordshire councillors, Nottingham estimates that for every £1 raised by WPL, £3 of external funding has been levered in.

This combined investment has in total delivered £10 of economic benefit to the city per £1 raised by WPL, Nottingham estimates.

The report to councillors said that a workplace levy would “provide a substantial, predictable, locally controlled source of funding which can be used for both capital and revenue projects, so new and improved bus services as well as funding for additional park & ride capacity and better walking and cycling routes.

“Employer and employee benefits, including grants for car parking management and discounted bus fares and park & ride parking could also be offered.”

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