Larger vehicles targeted for higher parking charges under new council plans tackling 'oversized' cars

A local authority has unveiled plans to investigate whether drivers of heavier and larger vehicles, including some SUVs, should pay more to park in council-owned car parks.

Cheltenham Borough Council has backed an amended motion calling for an overview and scrutiny committee to examine how different types of vehicles are affecting parking facilities.

The debate follows growing concerns over what has been dubbed "carspreading," the growing size and weight of modern cars while parking spaces and roads remain the same size.

Proposals were put forward by Green Party councillor Jan Foster, who represents Prestbury.

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She said: "I really hope that we can all work together on addressing this new nuisance that we are calling carspreading."

Under her original proposal, drivers of heavier domestic vehicles could have faced higher parking charges at council-owned car parks, but would have included exemptions for traders and other essential vehicle users.

Councillor Foster said some European cities had already introduced similar measures and claimed there was public support for the idea.

She also said she wanted the debate to focus on vehicle weight rather than emissions, arguing that larger and heavier vehicles could create problems beyond air pollution.

However, Liberal Democrat councillor Richard Lawler, who represents Swindon Village, proposed an amendment which changed the motion.

He said the original proposal "seemed to blur three different concepts: SUVs, heavier vehicles and oversized vehicles". "For example, an electric hatchback may be heavier than a small petrol SUV because of its battery," he said.

Councillor Lawler also pointed out that a large van could take up more space than a standard parking bay without necessarily being heavier than some electric cars.

He said many SUVs were also similar in size and weight to estate cars and other multi-purpose vehicles, warning that clear definitions would be needed before charges start.

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Councillor Lawler also questioned whether now was the right time to consider increasing parking charges, given the financial pressures facing many households.

The authority made a surplus of more than £3million from its parking operations during the 2025-26 financial year.

Some councillors suggested the high income from parking should not mean the council becomes complacent about the future of its car parks and parking policies.

Others called for the scrutiny committee to consider any possible financial impact as part of the wider council budget.

The scrutiny committee will now investigate how vehicles of different sizes and weights affect the day-to-day operation of council-owned car parks.

It will also consider whether changes to parking charges could be justified by the evidence, but will not introduce higher charges for SUVs or heavier vehicles yet.

Instead, councillors will first examine the issue and decide whether a differential pricing system would be fair, practical and necessary.

The debate is also taking place at county council level, where larger vehicles have been discussed in relation to on-street parking and permits.

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