Council set to bring in SUV tax as part of parking plan
Ted Peskett, Local Democracy Reporter
Cardiff Council is set to bring in a tax on SUVs as part of a plan for sweeping changes to parking in the city.
Cardiff Council’s cabinet members will meet on Thursday, October 16, to make a decision on its city parking plan which is aimed at reducing congestion, improving air quality, and restricting commuter parking in residential areas.
Other elements of the plan, which would be rolled out in phases over the next decade if approved, include creating new parking zones and introducing new permits for professional and unpaid carers.
Criticism
The council’s parking plan was criticised when it was first announced last year – especially by students who rely on personal transport and felt the proposed restriction on parking permits for student-only properties would affect their studies.
However, the council said the proposal has since been revised following consultation including changes to eligibility for student and business permits.
Cardiff council’s cabinet member for climate change, strategic planning, and transport, Cllr Dan De’Ath, said: “Our new city parking plan is a vital step towards a stronger, fairer, greener, and more accessible future.
“By listening to residents and businesses we’re ensuring that our streets work for everyone – supporting local communities, tackling congestion, and helping us meet our climate goals.
“This plan is about making Cardiff a better place to live, work, and visit for years to come.
“But we recognise that parking is a finite resource and that difficult choices must be made to balance the needs of residents, businesses, visitors, and vulnerable groups.
“The city parking plan aims to support the city’s climate emergency response by encouraging cleaner vehicles and sustainable travel, reduce commuter parking in residential areas, make parking rules simpler and more consistent, and ensure fair access for all including those with additional mobility needs.”
A key element of the city parking plan will see Cardiff divided into three parking management areas.
These will be the city and civic centre area, the inner area, and outer area.
Each will have tailored parking policies including which drivers will be allowed a parking permit and the types of parking allowed.
Controlled parking zones
All on-street parking in the central area will be managed by controlled parking zones with operational hours and rules designed to prioritise residents, blue badge holders, essential services, and local businesses.
Surcharges will be introduced for oversized and highly-polluting vehicles, and motorbikes will now require permits to park in resident bays.
Residents will be able to get daily visitor permits but hourly ones will still be available for more flexibility.
To prevent misuse there will be a limit on how many visitor permits can be used.
The other change made by the council to its parking plan after public consultation was to merge the Cardiff Bay and outer parking management areas.
Operational days and times of parking controls in the outer area will be set in consultation with local communities.
Before the plan is discussed by cabinet members it will go before Cardiff Council’s environmental scrutiny committee on Thursday, October 9.
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Again war on the motorists when will they realise that motorists creat jobs buying Thier cars running them parts fuel and so on, it. Will get to the point that we will have so many do gooders and no money coming in, just look at JLR and there supply chain if these people want to push cars of the road, they need to think ahead.
Can we try again in either English or Cymraeg please.
There’s no ‘war on motorists’, but some councils are attempting to redress the balance and reclaim more of the streets for pedestrians and other road users such as cyclists.
SUV’s are completely unsuitable for urban living and should be kept for the farm or building site where they belong.
They should be banned completely unless you are a farmer or need a trailer.
What rubbish, my wife has mobility issues, and is the only vehicle she can get in. Just another attack on the motorist.
You don’t have to resort to a large SUV to enjoy the benefits of a high seating position in your car — the Kia Soul and Honda Jazz, for example, have these.
Excellent news that Cardiff planning to clamp down on SUVs. Their high bonnets make them a death trap for children as old as 9 as the driver unable to see them crossing in front of them.
Gas guzzling SUVs create a lot more air pollution too; they are fine for farmers to use to herd their cattle not for urban transport.
It’s the type of vehicle that’s used by the arboricultural business near Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr, in the Conwy valley where you have your rural property. Also will include the works vehicles for the renewable energy companies you are invested in. Still unlikely to affect the life of affluent gentrification of the dwellers of the Cardiff townhouses. Keeps the rip-raff off the streets. Makes the uncooth working-class types live up in the valleys where they belong?
As someone who was completely paralyzed but have managed through self hard work that needs a high sitting position and my vehicle which part electric and part petrol have seven hundred miles to one tank no
Obviously the term SUV is a marketing gambit withing the motor industry, what a vehicle might look like. Where the ‘SUV premium’ has been introduced it’s been defined as any vehicle over 1,500Kg. It uses the unladen weight on the V5C register at the DVLA. So whilst it would include Range Rovers it would also include many tradesman’s vans. The result is a tax on electricians, plumbers and carpenters, as well as on small retail establishments in the city. It will not affect the affluent suburbs but it will make Cardiff a more expensive city for all goods and services.
The biggest load of hogwash how stupid do they take the general public for.
Introducing parking charges in areas where small shops convenient for local people short journeys who will now travel to supermarkets doing longer journeys
Cardiff City Council should stop borrowing money paying approx £40 million pounds in interest charges every year
They will soon be charging for walking to the shops
So they can pay for the interest charges.
It do not even go on public services
They are putting recycling in together into bin lorries
They are completely useless
Individual car use ‘just doesn’t work’ anymore once numbers get to a certain level. Here at home in Eryri there are many days where all the parking spots are full and it is not possible to park anywhere if we want to get out in the outdoors for walking or climbing. We have to leave the car at home and use the bus, which is fine actually! Building more parking spots is silly as these will just fill up too. Before car use many ordinary folk like us had to use trains and busses to get around. Many older holiday… Read more »
Cardiff council do everything they can to make driving and parking in Cardiff difficult and expensive. From very poorly planned road layouts to grossly expensive and restrictive places to park. This not only has a deleterious impact on residents and visitors but must surely impact bisinesses in Cardiff. We need a council that helps people who live, work, or are just visiting Catdiff to enjoy our great city. The council continue in their quest to do the exact opposite. Why?
Bring on the elections next May.
There aren’t any council elections next May.
Removing SUVs from the streets of Cardiff is a great idea. Anti-social, polluting, dangerous and totally unnecessary in a city. The city has to is change to accommodate its growing population and people’s habits around transport will have to change as well if Cardiff is to cope.