From 24 July 2023, charges will be based on your vehicle’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, to encourage people in Royal Greenwich to drive more environmentally friendly cars. This means that vehicles with low emissions will be charged less than those with higher emissions.

Cllr Averil Lekau, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, said: “We’re committed to improving air quality and cutting pollution in Royal Greenwich, to help make the borough a greener, safer and more attractive place to live.

“These changes to parking charges and permit costs will encourage residents and businesses to embrace more environmentally friendly ways to travel, including using public transport, low emission vehicles, walking, cycling and scooting.

“This is a key part of the Council’s drive to become carbon neutral by 2030. Air pollution is a risk to us all, and particularly the most vulnerable people in our communities. Strong action like this is essential to protecting the health and wellbeing of our residents and tackling the detrimental impact poor air quality and carbon emissions have on our environment.

“We understand cost increases can be a challenge, particularly during a cost of living crisis. To help people affected by the changes, we’re investing £3.1 million to improve our transport network. As well as a variety of improvements to make our roads attractive for pedestrians and cyclists, we’re also working with external partners to offer more EV charging points and create new car clubs in the borough. We’re also campaigning for the extension of the DLR from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead, which would help reduce reliance on cars in the area.”

How will this affect car parks and on-street parking?

Pay and display parking rates will vary based on location, with charges of £2, £5 or £7 per hour. Customers using the PayByPhone mobile app can get discounts of up to 65%, depending on the emissions of their vehicle, as registered with the DVLA.

For example, 1 hour’s parking in Calderwood Street car park for a vehicle in band 5 will cost £1.10  when paying on the PayByPhone mobile app.

How will this affect resident and business parking permits?

Resident and business permits, including new applications and renewals, will be charged based on the vehicle’s CO2 emission categories, as registered with the DVLA. The new system will use 13 emission bands, offering discounts of up to 80% for the least polluting vehicles. If more than one vehicle is registered at the same address, a £100 surcharge will be applied for each additional vehicle. Furthermore, all diesel vehicles will incur a £50 surcharge.

For example, a resident permit for a vehicle in band 5 will cost £90 for one year. Additional vehicles registered at the same address will be subject to a £100 multi permit household surcharge.

And a business permit for a vehicle in band 5 will cost £248 for one year.

Why is the Council making these changes?

In 2019, transport was responsible for 31% of the borough's total CO2 emissions. 95% of these emissions came from vehicles like cars, vans, and trucks. We’re committed to tackling carbon emissions and improving air quality, as part of our drive to become net zero by 2030. It’s essential that we encourage people to use greener types of transport including low emission vehicles, public transport, walking, cycling and scooting. This will create a healthier and more sustainable environment for all residents, businesses, and visitors, supporting the delivery of the Council’s corporate plan, Our Greenwich, the Carbon Neutral Plan and the Transport Strategy.

For more information regarding the changes to parking charges and permits, please visit royalgreenwich.gov.uk/emissions-based-parking