[jameslindsay]

I heard on the radio news today that Norfolk City Council are planning to tax all companies that have 10 or more car park spaces for staff. Each business will be charged approx £250 per parking lot, however, due to the economic crisis the council have postponed their plans. Surely if you own the land and pay your rates these idiots cannot legally do this?? All that will happen is businesses that are getting charged will relocate, surely? Madness.

[Tullywood Farm]

It true I am afraid James

What will happen now is all companies that own car spaces will charge their staff, or worse still sell the land for development to make parking even more difficult

I suppose you have to expect the government grasping at straws to find new ways to bring in tax after all their hiccups, and that putting it kindly.

Julie

PS I love the way that you love your goats - I am a Capricorn and feel that living on a mountain I am definatly a goat at heart

[rustyme]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090731/tuk-anger-as-work-parking-tax-announced-6323e80.html

yep yet another tax .....well they have got to get their expenses from somewhere haven't they ...?

cheers

Russ

[Farmer]

What a world we live in...what next...a tax on queing...a toll for waiting at the bus stop...lets ask Esther what her views are.

Farmer 
 

[doganjo]

They tried to do this in Aberdeen some years ago.  The haulage firm I worked for set up a steering group and 'persuaded' the Council it wouldn't be a good idea.  I think their argument was related to the number of multi wheelers we could put down Union Street on any one day  

[jameslindsay]

Thanks Julie. The goats give me as much back as I ever give  them. They love us in return and I am sure they know that they just how lucky they are. The 2 new Golden Guernsey's are now quite tame too and come running when I shout on them and love their cuddles too - or perhaps it's the tit bits they prefer ha ha.

[jameslindsay]

What a world we live in...what next...a tax on queing...a toll for waiting at the bus stop...lets ask Esther what her views are.

Farmer 
 

They may even tax us John for taking the time to talk to Esther hee hee.

[Farmer]

NOTHING would surprise me James...please don't give them ideas!!

[Fluffywelshsheep]

Thats rural business being punished again, because the council have removed the bus links to them.
will the council have to tax themselfs? due to all the car parks council office's have?

I am just thinking about lime tree house with all it's staff spaces and also torfaen (in wales) HQ which has a 5 storey car park just for staff ( might be used by the court staff but arn't they employed by the 'state')

Linz

[Farmer]

In another life my wife and I both worked at the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and after having free parking for many years they suddenly and without any consultation introduced a £1.00per day parking tariff for staff and a £2.00 parking charge for clients and office tenants...about eight months later, after many complaints, they announced that the visitor rate had dropped dramatically and so they would need to increase the rental for office space let to tenant businesses in order to maintain their income...before the year ended three tenants had relocated and the space remained unoccupied for months....and they profess to offer commercial advice to businesses!!!

So glad I left all that nonsense behind years ago.

Farmer
 

[Hilarysmum]

The hospital where I worked suddenly decided that as the parking was being used by locals for town shopping or parking for near by offices they would charge.  So visitors got a cheap rate and staff had to buy a permit.  These of course were very limited, staff had to park at the furthest places, and eventually they offered parking about a mile from the hospital with a bus to bring staff in.  But of course the managers, consultants etc. all got their allocated parking spaces.  Even those that only came in 2 days a week.

[northfifeduckling]

look at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, where staff are charged for parking - all the nurses are parking in the residential area miles around the hospital, can't blame them! Companies will just abolish staff car parks and the same will happen everywhere. Then they will introduce parking meters all over and piss all the locals off, nice 

[doganjo]

Only a few of the Scottish Hospitals now charge for parking.  There was a directive a few months ago that it had to be stopped.  The only problem is that there isn't nearly enough parking for staff, outpatients and visitors so the surrounding houses suffer.  Paying for parking doesn't help that.  The new Hospital for Stirlingshire will HOPEFULLY have better parking arrangements!!!

[Rosemary]

I suspect the reason is to encourage folk to use public transport, cycles, walk and to car share. I expect that my former emplyers will do something similar, on the back of green transport. I know that the vast majority of cars coming into our car park had one person in them and most Council employees live in Clackmannanshire. They were also proposing to stop paying mileage between central offices and now provide bikes!

Don't shout at me about public transport - I know it sucks. My daughter goes to Stirling Infirmary on a regular basis. The parking is awful and we'd getthe train in if tere was a regular bus from the station to the hospital. There isn't even one at visiting times. It's mostly stick and no carrot.

[Hilarysmum]

I think there is a bus stop in the village, I have never seen a bus, except the school bus, which leaves at 7.30 and returns at 5.30  Not a lot to do stuck all day in Locmine waiting for the return bus.  On the plus side there is virtually no car parking charge in our bit of 56.