- Original plans would have charged motorcyclists up to 12,500 pounds (approximately 14,413 euros / $16,675) per year
- New fees: 38 pounds (approximately 44 euros / $51) annual parking permit for most residents
- Electric motorcycles park for free in Hackney
- The agreement was reached through an out-of-court settlement
What began in 2020 as an ambitious plan by Hackney Council has turned, after years of resistance, into a cautionary tale about the limits of local government overreach. The London borough wanted to charge motorcyclists parking fees on par with those for car drivers. In extreme cases, owners of high-emission machines would have faced charges of up to 12,500 pounds (approximately 14,413 euros / $16,675) per year, roughly 50 pounds (approximately 58 euros / $67) per day. For many commuters and residents who depend on their motorcycle as daily transportation, this would have been simply unaffordable.
A Borough Against the Motorcycle Community
Hackney pursued a stated goal with its fees: to actively discourage commuter motorcycle parking in the borough. The Council argued that improving air quality and reducing CO2 emissions made the policy necessary. The borough aims to be carbon neutral by 2040, and the parking fee model was part of this strategy. Fees were to be calculated based on emissions, similar to what has been standard for cars in Hackney since 2015. Motorcycles had previously been exempt from parking charges, primarily because it was technically impossible to securely attach a parking permit to a two-wheeled vehicle. Only with the introduction of cashless parking systems and digital permits did the Council see an opportunity to incorporate motorcycles into the existing system.
The motorcycle community reacted with disbelief. Motorcycles take up roughly eight times less space than a car, which riders cited as their central argument against being charged equally. In practice, this meant six to eight motorcycles fit into a single car parking space, yet each was supposed to pay the same as a car. Some motorcyclists in Hackney resorted to an unusual form of protest, deliberately parking their machines so they occupied as much space as a car.
Save London Motorcycling: From Protest to Court
At the heart of the resistance was the volunteer-run campaign group Save London Motorcycling (SLM). The group had previously organized against similar fee plans by the borough of Camden, which were ultimately withdrawn. In Hackney, however, SLM encountered an administration that remained unyielding for years.
Despite objections from thousands of individual motorcyclists, the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF), the Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF), and the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC), Hackney Council chose to overrule all objections and implement the parking charges as planned. The legally required consultation period between July 14 and August 4, 2023, drew massive opposition, which the Council nevertheless ignored.
SLM subsequently raised over 11,000 pounds (approximately 12,683 euros / $14,674) through a crowdfunding campaign from more than 500 individual donations to fund legal costs. In October 2024, the group secured a hearing at the Administrative Court of the Royal Courts of Justice, which took place in January 2025.
Out-of-Court Settlement Ends the Dispute
In the end, it was an out-of-court settlement that resolved the years-long conflict. The results stand in stark contrast to the Council’s original demands. Daily fees were reduced to 1.20 to 2.60 pounds (approximately 1.38 to 3.00 euros / $1.60 to $3.47), depending on location. For residents, the annual parking permit costs 38 pounds (approximately 44 euros / $51) for most motorcycles. Electric motorcycles can park completely free of charge in Hackney.
The Council also introduced a three-phase implementation plan. In the first year, 2024, permits were free for residents, council estate tenants, and business operators. In the second year, half the regular price applies, with the full rate kicking in only from the third year onward. Additionally, 24 new motorcycle parking spaces were created in the borough, adding to the existing 51. These 75 shared-use spaces offer discounted short-term rates with no time limit. Couriers and delivery riders remain exempt from the charges.
Sharp Criticism of the Borough Administration
A spokesperson for Save London Motorcycling had strong words after the settlement: “This entire episode was avoidable. The Council chose confrontation instead of common sense, and as a result taxpayers have funded years of legal costs defending a pointless policy that was always clearly excessive, unjustified, and reckless.”
The spokesperson also criticized the political isolation of Hackney’s Labour administration, which had clung to its plans despite overwhelming opposition from motorcyclists and residents. The decision to burden some of the lowest-paid workers with unaffordable costs had been purely politically motivated, the spokesperson argued.
Craig Carey-Clinch, Executive Director of the National Motorcyclists Council, congratulated SLM on the campaign’s success. He described it as a technically demanding campaign with a successful outcome given the scale of the original fee proposals. The NMC and its member organizations BMF and TRF had supported SLM at every stage of the campaign. Carey-Clinch emphasized that this sent a clear signal to other local authorities that might be considering similarly disproportionate parking charges for motorcycles.
Camden Now the Most Expensive Borough for Motorcyclists in London
With the drastic reduction of fees in Hackney, another London borough has come into focus. Following the settlement, Camden is now considered the most expensive place in London to own a motorcycle. Residents there pay at least 146 pounds (approximately 168 euros / $195) per year for a parking permit for a gasoline motorcycle. Even zero-emission electric motorcycles still cost 110 pounds (approximately 127 euros / $147) annually in Camden, while they can now park for free in Hackney.
Across most of London, motorcycle parking spaces marked as “Solo Motorcycle Only” remain free and without time restrictions. Despite the settlement, Hackney remains one of the few boroughs that charge any parking fees for motorcycles at all.
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