Bristol hoteliers hope councillors put the brakes on business parking levy

Bristol hoteliers hope city councillors put the brakes on plans to introduce a £20 weekly charge for commuters to park in their city centre workplaces.

 

Last week (Sept 12) Bristol City Council’s transport policy committee approved spending up to £1m to draw up an outline business case for the levy, which would charge businesses in the central area which currently offer free staff parking places.

 

It will be down to the individual companies to decide whether to absorb the costs themselves or pass them on to their employees.

 

But the Bristol Hoteliers Association (BHA) has criticised the plans, saying it is yet another blow to the long-term recovery of their businesses, which have been struggling thanks to a combination of the impact of Brexit, the Covid pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.

 

It is estimated that around 9,000 employees could be affected by the levy which the council claims could help cut congestion and air pollution in the city centre and could raise up to £10 million per year which would be invested into improving public transport.

 

BHA Chair Raphael Herzog said: “This would be yet another challenge for BHA members in the city centre.

 

“The nature of our business means we have staff making very early starts and very late finishes, when access to alternative forms of getting to and from work is limited.

 

“Earlier this year, we were hit with having to take on the costs of the increased national wage and this feels like another blow to our businesses, which the city council should be supporting.

 

“Of course, we understand the importance of reducing carbon emissions to improve the air quality in the city centre and to cut congestion, but to encourage people to leave their cars at home, there have to be viable and efficient alternatives, available to the travellers when they are needed.

 

“We’re disappointed that we were not consulted about plans to introduce this workplace parking levy; we found out about it through media reports.

 

“We’ve had a difficult summer in terms of occupancy, which I think is down to a combination of the continuing cost-of-living crisis, the unpredictable weather and the fact that more people seem to have gone abroad this year.

 

“In addition, the Labour Party has already warned the nation to be prepared for a ‘difficult’ budget in October, which will undoubtedly present more challenges for us, and now we learn about this parking levy plan, which is just adding insult to injury.

 

“The BHA wants the council to reconsider this plan and we are again calling on the council to show some significant support for the city’s hospitality sector, which makes a huge contribution to the local economy but which is continuing to struggle in the current climate.

 

“Instead of looking to impose additional costs to us, why not charge Airbnb premises for licences, for example. That would generate some extra income to invest in transportation and also be a show of confidence in our businesses.

 

“If it is to be implemented, my understanding is that there would be exceptions for some organisations, and I urge councillors to show their support for our sector by working to ensure hospitality businesses are included among the list of organisations who will not be charged.”