New details have emerged about Cardiff Council's proposed workplace parking levy (WPL), which could raise approximately £10 million per year for public transport improvements. The levy, chosen over a congestion charge, would charge businesses based on the number of employee parking spaces they provide.
How the Levy Would Work
The WPL would apply to businesses above a certain size, charging them for each parking space offered to employees. Funds raised would be ring-fenced for transport projects such as bus services and cycle lanes. Currently, only Nottingham has implemented a similar levy in the UK, though several other cities are considering it.
Council documents indicate a provisional charge of £750 per parking space, though this figure is for analysis purposes and subject to change. The final rate, exemptions, and business thresholds remain undecided.
Scrutiny Committee Concerns
At a meeting of the council's environmental scrutiny committee, chair Cllr Owen Jones expressed "unease" about the size of the report—hundreds of pages—and the limited time given to scrutinise it. Cllr Dan De'Ath, cabinet member for environment, described the potential £10m annual revenue as a "really, really impressive resource" that could "revolutionise public transport in Cardiff."
He added: "We need to go further and go faster to give people in the city the kind of public transport people on the continent take for granted."
Questions Over Effectiveness
Conservative group leader Cllr John Lancaster questioned whether investing in buses would be wise given declining bus usage. A council officer responded that the levy would provide a "clear incentive for people going on the bus."
Cllr Helen Lloyd Jones said she was "not convinced completely" that the WPL would address car pollution, and asked if additional measures were planned. Cllr De'Ath confirmed the council is currently only considering the WPL, and it would not be a "Trojan horse" for other charges.
Next Steps
The scheme is in early development, with many details—including exact charges, discounts, exemptions, and affected business sizes—yet to be finalised. The proposal may ultimately not proceed. Cardiff Council has stressed that the WPL is its preferred alternative to congestion charging, which had been under consideration since 2023.
