March 19th, 2026.



The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has welcomed the news that Hackney Council has been forced to significantly scale back its unsustainable proposals for motorcycle parking charges. This followed sustained political pressure and legal action from the local community. This was spearheaded by grassroots campaign group Save London Motorcycling (SLM), with support from the NMC, the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) and the Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF).

The Council's original policy, first proposed in 2020, would have seen riders facing charges of up to £12,500 per year (£50 a per day). This was part of an explicit intention to preventing motorcycle commuter parking in the London borough. Instead, as a result of action by SLM the motorcycle lobby and the local community, the Council has slashed daily rates to just £1.20–£2.60 depending on location, cut residents’ motorcycle parking permit costs down to just £38 for most, and introduced free parking for electric motorcycles. This was agreed via an out of court settlement.

NMC Executive Director Craig Carey-Clinch said: “This was a tough and technically detailed campaign with a successful result given the scale of the original charging proposals. The NMC and its members the BMF and TRF were very happy to support SLM as each stage of the campaign unfolded. We strongly welcome the outcome and congratulate Save London Motorcycling on its success. A clear message has been sent to other local authorities who may be entertaining thoughts of imposing disproportionate motorcycle parking charges.”

This outcome leaves Camden exposed as the most expensive place in London to own a motorcycle, where residents are currently forced to pay a minimum of £146 per year for a petrol permit, and where even zero-emissions electric motorcycles face charges of £110 a year.


www.uknmc.org