Consultation on Cashless Parking Charges

In March and April 2025 the council consulted on changes to parking charges for cashless parking, also called PaybyPhone or paid-for parking, within the borough.

The Council is required to give notice of increased charges and undertake statutory consultation on changes to the pricing structure for on-street charges under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

Proposal

We proposed to introduce peak charging and a minimum duration charge. This will help to reduce traffic congestion by encouraging residents and visitors to evaluate the time of day that they wish to park and if a car journey is necessary, reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality. This will promote the use of active travel and help us to meet our net zero commitments.

• Lambeth is proposing to amend the scheme of fees for cashless parking on street and in car parks to include a peak time surcharge of 10% between 10:00 and 12:59. 
• Lambeth is also proposing to amend the scheme of fees for cashless parking, increasing the minimum period of paid parking from 1 minute to 15 minutes.

Background / Purpose

Fee structures are aligned with the location of the bay, the fuel type used, and the emissions generated, by the vehicle. A fully electric vehicle on the border with Wandsworth (our lowest tariff) currently pays £3.41 per hour throughout the day, whilst a very high CO2 emitting diesel vehicle parking in Waterloo will pay £15.31 per hour. Full details of the existing charging structure can be found on our website. Cashless parking in car parks is paid at the same rate as the surrounding CPZ.

Where possible, Lambeth encourages visitors and residents to move away from vehicle use and ownership to use public transport, cycling and walking as a sustainable and cleaner alternative. Research suggests that parking prices can influence decisions about whether to own a car and what type of car to purchase.

Cashless parking prices are being set to reduce the demand to make journeys by private car at peak times, which will help to reduce traffic volumes and improve traffic flow in the borough at busier times.

The proposed changes to cashless parking are designed to reduce and smooth parking demand across the day. Increasing the turnover of parking spaces, and reducing traffic congestion, as people spend less time searching for an available space should thereby reduce exhaust and non-exhaust emissions.

Peak time parking charges encourage people to avoid driving and parking between 10:00 and 13:00, reducing traffic and encouraging people to shift to more sustainable modes of transport namely walking, cycling and public transport. By spreading out demand this helps to reduce traffic congestion and related environmental pollution.

Charging a for minimum duration is intended to encourage people to consider if they need to make the journey or use sustainable transport as a more cost-effective alternative thereby reducing congestion.

How this fits into Lambeth’s plans

This proposal will help us to realise the objectives of:

• The Mayor's Transport Strategy - Transport for London,
• Lambeth Transport Strategy and Local Implementation Plan,
• Air Quality Action Plan
• Climate Action Plan
• Kerbside Strategy
• Big Shift Programme

In 2019, Lambeth declared a climate emergency and subsequently adopted a Climate Action Plan that sets out how we intend to reach Net Zero carbon emissions by 2030. Approximately 24% of carbon emissions in Lambeth are attributed to road transport, and a wide range of interventions are required to reduce this over the next five years. The Climate Action Plan includes five themes, with individual goals under each theme. The transport theme includes the following goals:

1. Reduce motor traffic by 27%.
2. Increase sustainable travel to 85%.
3. Use 25% of kerbside space sustainably.
4. Enable net zero freight

Road transport is a major source of local air pollution. According to the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory, road transport is responsible for 50% of NO2 emissions, and 28% of Particulate Matter with a diameter of 10 micrometres (10-5m) or less (PM10) emissions. While air quality is improving across Lambeth, at multiple locations across the borough air pollution still exceeds legal limits as set out in national Air Quality Objectives.

Air pollution in Lambeth significantly exceeds World Health Organisation guidelines, which were adopted by the council in 2021 as part of an Air Quality Vision. This vision commits the council to breaking the association between inner-London living and poor air quality and targeting resources and interventions to benefit the most susceptible groups: the young, the elderly, those with a pre-existing health condition, and residents in the most polluted areas.

These proposals are designed to reduce motor traffic and improve air quality by discouraging short round trips and journeys at busy time.

You can find more information about these changes in the decision report Decision - Kerbside Pricing Review 25/26 Consultation Outcome | Lambeth Council