Hackney Council backtrack on £50 a day motorcycle parking plans after legal battle.
Hackney Council has backed down on its controversial plan to charge motorcyclists the same as car drivers for parking, announcing a revised fee structure after settling a court case with campaign group Save London Motorcycling (SLM). Starting April 6, the new system scraps proposals that could have cost bikers up to £50 a day – or £12,500 a year. Instead, solo motorcycle bays will cost between £1.20 and £2.60 per day depending on location, with discounted block-booking options available. Monthly passes will drop by 25%, and annual permits will be halved, bringing yearly prices down to around £150–£340. Zero-emission motorcycles won’t pay anything, and plans to ban all-day motorcycle parking have also been dropped following strong backlash from commuters.
Residents will now enjoy further cost cuts, with permits priced at roughly half of what they used to be and no longer linked to car values. SLM, who led the charge, had earlier kicked off a £20,000 fundraising drive to take the council to court, supported by groups like the Motorcycle Action Group and the British Motorcyclists Federation. In the end, legal advice prompted SLM to agree to the settlement, as losing could have paved the way for even steeper fees.
A Council spokesperson told MCN they brought in motorcycle parking charges to cut pollution and make the most of limited kerbside space in Hackney. The updated policy still follows the idea of emission-based charges for polluting bikes. After productive talks with user groups, they’ve now adjusted the fees to encourage zero-emission vehicles and acknowledge that motorcycles take up less space than cars.
SLM argue that charging motorcycles for parking is fundamentally wrong, but believe the result sends a clear message that riders are ready to stand their ground, and that the case’s outcome is “in the best interests of riders in Hackney and across the UK.”
The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) celebrated the outcome, with Executive Director Craig Carey-Clinch calling it “a great result considering the scale of the original charging plans” and noting that other authorities might now think twice before attempting similar schemes. He added that the NMC, along with members BMF and TRF, were glad to back SLM throughout the campaign. Carey-Clinch praised the success of Save London Motorcycling, saying the result sends a clear warning to any local authorities considering unfair motorcycle parking charges.
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