Islington Council introduces parking surcharge on diesels

Islington Council has gone a step further than the Mayor of London by proposing to impose on all diesel vehicles – including Euro 6 diesels and diesel hybrids – a £2 per hour visitor parking surcharge from early next year.

Unlike central London’s T-charge, which permits Euro 4 diesel vehicles, and the forthcoming ultra-low emission zone, which will allow Euro 6 diesel vehicles, the council is targeting all diesel vehicles with its surcharge. It has reiterated its call for the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to ban all diesel vehicles from Greater London by 2025.

The council already has a diesel surcharge in place for resident parking permits and believes the short-stay visitor parking charge will help to discourage the use of diesel vehicles and reduce harmful emissions in the borough.

It estimates that between 25-30 per cent of the 1.59 million short-stay visitor parking sessions are made by diesel and heavy oil vehicles. The report recommending the surcharge was considered by the council executive on 23 November, and will be available on the council website.

A growing number of councils including Camden, Hackney, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster have all introduced similar parking policies in recent years. Westminster Council introduced its parking surcharge for pre-2015 diesel vehicles in June this year, following a trial.