Bristol City Council, which is Green-led, is planning to charge employers who provide free car parking for their staff, in a move intended to discourage car commuting and raise an estimated £44 million. Under the proposals, businesses would need to obtain a licence for each parking space on their premises, costing between £300 and £1,250 per space per year. The plans matter because they could significantly increase costs for firms across the city and are designed to push commuters towards alternatives such as cycling.

Councillors are expected to decide how widely the levy should apply before a public consultation in the autumn. Options range from limiting it to the existing Clean Air Zone to extending it across the whole city, including Avonmouth. Businesses with fewer than five spaces may be exempt, while those most affected could pay over £5 per space each working day. The council says the money would be a ring-fenced fund for local transport investment, but business leaders, including Business West, have criticised the plans for adding to existing pressures from higher National Insurance, energy costs and business rates.