Oxford University calls for city-wide parking levy

Oxford University has said the levy on parking spaces should affect the whole city

Oxford University said all the city's employers should pay a levy for staff parking to help cut congestion.

It comes after plans to charge businesses for about 9,000 parking spaces they use in the city's Eastern Arc were unveiled in September.

They could pay up to £600 a year for each space under the Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council plans.

The university wants the scheme to be extended across Oxford, potentially affecting 18,000 spaces.

It said it supports the working place levy (WPL) in principle but "strongly suggests" it should cover a wider area.

Where the parking levy would affect in Oxford according to current proposals

In its journal, the University of Oxford Gazette, it said major employers including BMW's Mini plant and Unipart should be included in the WPL.

The councils have so far proposed that only employers with 11 or more spaces are affected by it.

University's charge

The university said it would pay £426,000 a year for parking spaces if all of Oxford is covered by the charge.

The councils have said the money collected by the WPL would pay for a bus service they hope will cut traffic across the city.

But the university said the authorities need to outline "credible, detailed plans" for new bus routes for Oxford and nearby towns.

The authorities are expected to discuss the Connecting Oxford proposals and how to proceed in January.