Tax levy for city centre parking

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Beleaguered motorists in the East Midlands will not know whether to laugh or cry over the news that plans to introduce a congestion charge have been dropped, yet a controversial tax levy is to be introduced on workplace parking spaces.

Plans to consider a congestion charge and other ways of fighting traffic build-up have been shelved by council and cabinet leaders from across the county.

The group had commissioned a report to look into ways of fighting congestion in the region, including charging motorists to enter congested areas.

However, they said the report had failed to convince them that congestion charging was the way forward and decided not to apply for more Government funding.

The leader of Nottingham City Council, Councillor Jon Collins, said his council had instead decided to put a Workplace Parking Levy in place that would be "more simple, fair and better targeted at commuters".

Some 500 large employers will be charged an annual fee - initially £185 - for each of the parking spaces it provides for its staff. Smaller businesses, with ten or fewer parking spaces, will not have to pay.

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