Glasgow City Council shelve plans to introduce workplace parking charges

Plans to charge for workplace parking in Glasgow are being abandoned, but a congestion charge and a Clyde Tunnel toll could still be rolled out.

Glasgow City Council has been exploring the possibility of introducing a workplace parking levy, which could have raised over £8 million per year.

But officials have reported there is “limited commercial and public appetite” for the scheme. They will direct resources towards investigating “alternative potential initiatives” to reduce car use, cut congestion and increase revenue.

These include an “at-city-boundary congestion charge” and possible tolling of the Clyde Tunnel, which the council is responsible for.

A parking scheme would have required businesses and workplaces to hold a licence for spaces they provide to staff and visitors, with licence charges based on the number of places available.

Consultants were employed by the council to develop options for what would have been the first scheme of its kind in Scotland. A £500 charge per parking space at workplaces within the council boundary was proposed.

Exemptions and discounts were considered for some vehicles, including occasional business visitors, goods delivery and collection and emergency services.

The council’s transport and climate strategies include the development of a scheme to “tackle long-stay parking… and support modal shift to sustainable modes for the journey to work”. Surplus revenue would have been invested in sustainable transport projects.

Talks were held with stakeholders including neighbouring councils, the health and education sectors, retail businesses and public transport operators. Glasgow Chamber of Commerce stated its “explicit opposition” to the proposal, a council report states.

It adds the local authority “remains committed to its objectives of reducing car use and tackling congestion” as well as “exploring opportunities to raise revenues to support sustainable transport interventions”.

However, the report continues: “From the engagement undertaken, it is clear there is limited commercial and public appetite for a [workplace parking] scheme in Glasgow at this time.

“Further, while a WPL scheme has the potential to encourage modal shift and generate relatively modest revenues to support sustainable transport interventions, it is considered that alternative options such as initiatives utilising local road user charging powers may prove more impactful in achieving these aims.”

Councillors will be asked to note the recommendations at a meeting of the economy, housing, transport and regeneration city policy committee next week.

City treasurer Ricky Bell, SNP, previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the council must find ways to grow its revenue.

He said a workplace parking levy “doesn’t really stack up very well for us”.

“We need to have solutions that work for Glasgow, and things like a tourist tax, congestion charging, tolling on the tunnel are the big ones that would make quite a difference to the amount of money we get.”

It has been suggested that a toll on the tunnel would only be paid by drivers from outside the city. A tourist tax is set to begin in January 2027.

Speaking in February, Cllr Bell said the city needs to raise its own revenue as there is “nothing on the ten-year horizon that makes me think the government is going to be in a position to give us any more money”.