Drive a Chelsea tractor? It may value you extra to park: Council desires to hike parking permits for homeowners of ‘giant luxurious automobiles’ like Range Rovers and Audi R8s in SUV crackdown

Drivers with large luxury cars including Range Rovers and Audi R8s face having to pay more for their resident parking permits under a council’s new Paris-style policy.

Draft proposals by Labour-run Haringey Council, in north London, will see the annual cost of resident’s parking permits rise by as much as £87 for the largest vehicles, depending on its size and how much CO2 it produces. 

Large cars which emit over 225g/km of CO2, including Lamborghini Urus and the BMW 3 Series, could see their annual permit cost rise from £430 to £517. 

By comparison, the permit cost of a hybrid Fiat 500 — which emits between 104 and 109g/km — would go from £55 per year to £70.

Haringey Council has said the proposals address ‘fairness in road space use’ and ‘the environmental footprint of vehicles.’

The council report states: ‘The current charging structure focuses the impact of emissions, however recognising the impact of the size of vehicles – on the highway road space – should also be considered. 

‘This reflects wider corporate objectives to reassess and reprioritise highway space, and seeks to drive more efficient use of this space.’

However, it has been blasted by residents who called the plans ‘grossly unfair’ and accused the council of choosing motorists as an ‘easy target’ to raise money. 

Large cars which emit over 225g/km of CO2, including Lamborghini Urus, could see their annual permit cost rise from £430 to £517 while the permit cost of a hybrid Fiat 500 — which emits between 104 and 109g/km — would go from £55 per year to £70

Drivers with large luxury cars including Range Rovers and Audi R8s face having to pay more for their resident parking permits under a council’s new Paris-style policy (stock image of a Range Rover) 

Similar charges were proposed in Oxford and Bristol this year, as local officials followed France’s lead in the crackdown on SUVs. 

In February, Parisians voted to muscle SUVs off the French capital’s streets by making them three times more expensive to park, while calling on London to follow suit.

It came as the latest move in a drive by Mayor Anne Hidalgo to make the city greener and friendlier for pedestrians and cyclists.  

The policy was previously backed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who labelled it ‘innovative’.

In Haringey, residents with vehicles that are 4.5 metres or longer (most SUVs) will pay the highest charges, followed by those between 4 and 4.49 metres. 

According to the Council’s website, if the vehicle was registered after March 1, 2001, the cost is based on its environmental impact. 

Before March 2001, the vehicle’s CO2 emissions are not available, therefore the cost of the permit is based on the vehicle’s engine size.

Diesel vehicles must pay an extra £100 on yearly permits and £50 on six-monthly permits.

Households can have one resident permit at a standard price and there will be an extra charge for further permits of £65 for yearly permits and £32.50 for six-monthly.

Haringey Council, which oversees areas such as Highgate, Muswell Hill, Tottenham and Wood Green, is also reportedly planning to scrap its £5 visitor permits.

It is a move that could see daily parking charges triple in some areas to £17 as drivers will be forced to pay £1.20 an hour.

Haringey Council is also reportedly planning to scrap its £5 visitor permits. Pictured: A row of terraced houses in Muswell Hill in North London

Haringey Council oversees areas such as Wood Green (pictured)

The council claimed the changes were necessary as permits were being misused by commuters to park near stations on their way to work.

However, more than 3,500 people have signed a petition in an attempt to block the overhaul, the Telegraph reported.

Tom Leanse, a lawyer who organised the petition, said the proposals were ‘grossly unfair’.

Meanwhile, Caitlin Clunie-O’Connor also told the publication that the council failed to produce evidence to back up its claims that the current scheme was being misused.

She said: ‘My suspicion is that this is really about raising more money for Haringey and that they have chosen the motorists as an easy target.

‘Everyone agrees that there is too much traffic in Haringey, but these charges won’t do anything about that. They will just raise more money for the council in an unfair way.’

MailOnline has contacted Haringey Council for comment.