Bolton: Chris Green criticises Workplace Parking Levy

The idea was raised by Andy Burnham at a Q&A arranged by Walk Ride Greater Manchester a little over a month ago.

Currently only in operation in the area run by Nottingham Council, although it is understood to be under consideration by other authorities, a WPL is a charge on some employers with workplace parking for their employees.

In Nottingham, it stands at £522 per space per year for all employers with more than 10 spaces available to employees.

READ MORE: Bolton: New bus operators announced for Bee Network.

At a Q&A arranged by Walk Ride Greater Manchester and also attended by Active Travel Commissioner Dame Sarah Storey and Transport Commissioner Vernon Everitt, Mr Burnham was asked if he would ever resort to tougher measures to get residents out of their cars and onto active travel or public transport.

It comes after the Clean Air Zone was paused, with Mr Burnham and local leaders calling for a non-charging scheme.

Chris Green MP

The Mayor of Greater Manchester said: "I think we need to look at initiatives like the WPL. I think this has to be on the agenda as we move forward. 

"Learning from the experience of the Clean Air Zone and the decade before with the congestion charge, we've made a mistake where we're asking people to accept an upfront stick before we've given them an alternative. 

"That’s been a problem in how we've handled things in the past and it's why I keep coming back to my central point.

"Let's get the Bee Network up and running and then when the public have an alternative it's possible to have a conversation about tougher measures."

READ MORE: Council spent tens of thousands on Levelling Up bids.

Although the idea was raised by Mr Burnham in passing, with no announcement made by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority surrounding it, this was enough for Bolton MP Chris Green to express concern about it to colleagues in Parliament.

Mr Green, who represents Bolton West, said the idea would add to the burden for businesses in Bolton and beyond.

On February 20, he asked Levelling Up minister Dehenna Davison: "Does the minister share my concern about the Mayor of Greater Manchester's proposals for a WPL? It's a tax on businesses, jobs and families, isn't it?"

Ms Davison appeared to be unaware of the idea, however.

The minister agreed to discuss with Mr Green another time.

Afterwards, the MP told The Bolton News: “I am concerned the Mayor is now looking to bring in a levy. With businesses still recovering from Covid and the lockdowns, now is not the time to be adding to their tax burden."

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.