Slough planning chief: 'No immediate plans for congestion charge'

Rumours that Slough Borough Council (SBC) is set to introduce a congestion charge were dismissed by the council’s planning chief last night (Monday).

The council said that a form of congestion charging in the town centre was a potential solution to ease Slough’s traffic chaos in its recently released Local Plan Issues and Options document.

But during a meeting of cabinet, SBC’s planning policy lead officer Paul Stimpson said the council had no immediate plans to introduce a charge for motorists.

He said: “The plan does talk about the idea of a congestion charge but that would be directed at traffic coming through Slough.

“It would not penalise local people who are trying to go about their business.

“We have no immediate plans whatsoever to have a congestion charge but if we are going to build 20,000 more homes then we will have to look at more radical solutions in the future.

“But it’s definitely not something we’re proposing at this stage.”

Congestion in the town costs Slough businesses about £34million a year, according to SBC’s Local Plan Issues and Options document.

It also says that 66 per cent of the town’s residents who commute out of Slough do so by using a private car.

But Cllr Fiza Matloob (Lab, Baylis and Stoke) hit out at reports that the council was going to introduce a congestion charge and said the local press were using ‘scare tactics’ to rile up residents.

Some of the potential solutions to ease Slough’s traffic woes in the document include investing in the Slough Mass Rapid Transit scheme and increased council involvement in the provision of a local bus service.

A six-week public consultation will be held in January where residents will be able to give their feedback on the Local Plan Issues and Options document.

The meeting was held at St Martin’s Place.