Bristol residents parking permits to go up five fold

Gayle McGregor said she was surprised by the scale of the price rise

Council leaders have hit back at criticism of a forthcoming price hike for parking permits.

Bristol City Council's cabinet approved the increases for permits in Residents' Parking Zones (RPZs) on 6 May.

Green councillors said that it would only move parking issues to nearby residential streets as drivers seek to avoid paying the higher charges.

But Labour cabinet member for transport Don Alexander said it would persuade car owners to "move to active travel".

The changes, set to begin in the coming weeks, include ending discounts for low-emission vehicles, with permits for second cars to double in price to £224, and third vehicles rising from £224 to £560.

In the central parking zone, the cost of permits will jump from £50 to £250, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A resident told BBC Radio Bristol: "It makes you think about whether you do need a car, but we definitely do, so it's just trying to find an extra £200 which at this time is difficult for us and a lot of other people."

Speaking to BBC Points West, Gayle McGregor said it is quite a steep increase.

"I'm surprised by how much extra it is.

"I understand they need to reduce car ownership, so it would make me consider whether I need to own a second car but I also feel it would be helpful if there was improvement to bus services to counterbalance," she said.

Mike said finding a parking space was difficult on his street

Mike said he is worried that people will park their second or third cars in residential areas just outside the parking zones.

"Generally, people first thing in the morning come and park their cars, get their bikes out, or walk into work, presumably into town.

"So it fills up very quickly and if you go anywhere, you can't come back and park here. You're about four streets away," he added.

Emma Edwards, Green Party councillor for Bishopston and Ashley Down, said: "What we should be doing is looking at extending the resident parking areas.

"When you have an area without resident parking, that is where people tend to park."

Bristol City Council cabinet has approved price increases for Residents' Parking Zone permits

Green councillor Martin Fodor added that there would be "an immediate problem with the knock-on effect", with the measures leading to "consequences and displacement but no solutions".

Mr Alexander responded by calling Mr Fodor's views "deeply conservative".

"I don't believe that everyone who has a second or third car when faced with an increased bill will just park it down the road somewhere.

"We need to have more ambition and more belief in human goodness," he added.