Sadiq Khan to ban new homes from having parking space

Sadiq Khan is banning car parking spaces around new homes and offices in the capital in a bid to cut cut car use. 

The London mayor said he wants to reduce road congestion and air pollution with his draft Transport Strategy.

Under the scheme, parking spaces will not be allowed as part of residential developments which have the best public transport links, while new offices in the centre of the capital will not be able to include commuter or visitor parking.

The mayor said he wants to reduce road congestion and air pollution with his draft Transport Strategy

Spaces for disabled people to park will still be allowed and cycle parking will be increased in several areas, including outside shops and student accommodation.

The measures, which will be subject to a public consultation, represent the latest in a series of efforts to boost air quality.

But the plan has been slammed as ‘short-sighted’ by critics, who fear that public transport outside London is not good enough for many people.

RAC roads policy spokesman Nick Lyes said: ‘These proposals are very short sighted. They fail to recognise that cars will still be required for a high proportion of journeys between London and other parts of the UK poorly served by public transport. 

‘Restricting car parking spaces in new developments may also have implications on personal mobility, particularly for the elderly. 

‘The Mayor also runs the risk that car owners will inevitably seek on-road parking if there is no off-road car parking provision, which could bring chaos to some nearby streets.’ 

But Friends of the Earth clean air campaigner Oliver Hayes, believes it is needed to tackle 

He said: ‘No 21st century city should be built around the private car and all its associated problems. 

‘With an air pollution crisis damaging the lives of countless Londoners it’s important that the Mayor signals a future where clean, affordable public transport and safe, unpolluted cycling and walking is the norm. 

Parking spaces will not be allowed as part of residential developments which have the best public transport links 

Parking spaces will not be allowed as part of residential developments which have the best public transport links 

‘But there are still inconsistencies in the Mayor’s approach. A new road tunnel in Silvertown will increase traffic and worsen air pollution, so his support for it must be dropped.’ 

A £10 toxicity T-Charge was introduced last month in central London for vehicles which do not meet the Euro 4 emissions standard, which is generally those registered before 2006.

It covers the same area and operating times as the existing congestion charge zone, which runs on weekdays between 7am and 6pm.

Islington Council announced earlier this month that it will be the first UK local authority to raise the price of short-stay parking for diesel vehicles across an entire borough.

The surcharge will cost affected motorists £2 an hour on top of existing hourly fees, which range from £1.20 to £6.

Air pollution causes an estimated 40,000 premature deaths a year in the UK and is linked to health problems from childhood illnesses to heart disease and even dementia.

Mr Khan said only around a third of the capital’s residents do enough walking and cycling each day to stay healthy and ‘getting more Londoners active’ will improve their quality of life and the environment.

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