Free city centre parking for green vehicles to end

Permits that allow drivers of low-emission vehicles to park for free in Sheffield city centre are to be scrapped.

Sheffield City Council's transport, regeneration and climate policy committee agreed on Wednesday to end green parking permits on 31 July, with existing permits not being renewed beyond that date.

The committee heard electric and ultra low-emission vehicles had increased significantly on roads since the permits were introduced nearly 20 years ago.

Councillors agreed the volume of permits had become "completely unsustainable" and noted that many drivers were using the permits for all-day commuter parking, restricting the availability for others.

The scheme was introduced in 2005 to encourage drivers to switch to cleaner vehicles, supporting the city's efforts to improve air quality.

Under the scheme, eligible ultra low-emission vehicles (ULEVs) were granted free parking in council-run on and off-street pay-and-display bays in the city centre.

A council report noted that since 2018, applications for permits had surged, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In the last financial year (2024/25), 5,802 unique permits were issued—up from 1,904 in 2023/24 and 1,644 in 2022/23.

The committee was recommended to contribute to the development of an investment plan to ensure that any surplus income generated from parking was reinvested appropriately.

It was requested that as part of this plan £125,000 should be set aside to support the transition to zero-emission vehicles, with funding directed towards investment in public charging infrastructure.

In February 2019, Sheffield City Council declared a climate emergency and is currently working towards Sheffield becoming a zero-carbon city by the start of the next decade.

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