Nottingham City Council is planning to introduce a tax on workplace parking spaces in an attempt to encourage commuters out of their cars and on to public transport. The Times

The £350-a-year tax is being planned as an alternative to congestion charging because it is thought to be cheaper and easier to collect. Eight other councils, including Devon County Council, are understood to be considering similar initiatives.

Under the Nottingham workplace parking levy scheme, employers with more than 10 parking spaces will have to pay the tax and most are expected to pass the cost on to staff.

The council is in the final stages of a consultation and is holding a five-day public examination of the scheme from 1 October. If approved, the scheme would be introduced in 2010 at a rate of £185 per space and would rise steeply each year until it reached £350 in 2014.