Optical staff face tax on car parking spaces

Optical staff in Nottingham where the three leading optical chains have offices, face being charged up to £350 to park their cars at work if the Department of Transport agrees to the city council's workplace parking levy scheme.

Under the proposal, employers who provide staff with more than 10 spaces in privately owned or public car parks will be forced to pay an annual tax for every liable parking space. If successful the council will charge business £185 per space from 2010, rising to £350 within three years of its implementation.

The plans have met with fierce resistance from local businesses, with some claiming they could be forced to relocate from the city. A spokesman for Boots Opticians which has its headquarters in Nottingham told Optician: 'Boots strongly opposes the introduction of the workplace parking levy. There is no evidence that a parking levy will reduce congestion, it will not change behaviour and is little more than a tool to raise additional business tax.'