Whittington Hospital set to enforce extra parking charges for the gas-guzzling vehicles

Published: 18th November, 2010
by TOM FOOT

DRIVERS of gas-guzzling vehicles are set to be hit with extra costs if they want to park at a Camden hospital.

In one of the first schemes of its kind in UK, motorists parking at the Whittington Hospital will have to pay a “green fee” if their car is among the most environmen­tally damaging.

The hospital Trust took the decision to enforce the extra charge at a board meeting in October.

Owners of cars generating large carbon emissions will pay 85p an hour – while the greenest vehicles will be charged just 25p.

Whittington chief executive Rob Larkman said: “We will be altering the car parking payment system to try and encourage people to reduce their carbon footprint. 

“The purpose of this is to make the carbon emissions of the car the main factor in determining the parking cost to the ­driver.”

He added: “It will change the system so that the hourly parking charge is based on the amount of carbon your car produces whilst the annual permit charge will be based on your salary as an employee.”

Environmentalist and former Camden councillor Alexis Rowell said: “I think that’s excellent news. I haven’t heard of a hospital doing that before. It is not about huge penalties, it is about a slight shift in the margins, to make people think about the damage they are causing, and nudge behaviour in the right direction.”

He added: “As with all these things, I personally don’t think anybody needs a car in London. Only the frail and the elderly should be exempt.”

In a 2008 study by the Healthcare Commission, the Whittington came fifth from bottom for “convenient parking” in the country.

While the New Journal has been told the hospital’s top bosses drive some of the greenest cars in the country, the changes may be cause for concern for Richard Martin. In his online biography, the hospital’s finance director lists his twin passions as “motor racing and classic cars”.

A Whittington spokeswoman said: “Richard Martin comes [to work] on the bus.”