Bike parking charges threat for Camden

Council believed that free parking 'effectively encourages a shift to motorcycle use'

A CAMDEN council document from October 2011 showed that the borough had plans to introduce the Westminster model for bike parking charges.

Submitted to the Culture and Environment Scrutiny Committee, the council members decided not to follow the proposal and dropped charging from the parking policy review.

In the original report - titled 'Recommendations of the Parking Policy Review' - the council's belief was that  motorcycles are the only free form of motorised transport in the borough, which 'effectively encourages a shift to motorcycle use'.

The plan was to implement the charges south of Euston Road, and depending on its success it could have been extended to other areas of the borough, alongside Hackney and Islington who also indicated interest in the policy.

Westminster council introduced bike parking charges in 2008. In answer the campaign No To Bike Parking Tax was set up by motorcyclists to tackle the scheme with demonstrations and through the High Court.