Dear Westminster Councillors, 
 
Contrary to the inference given by your colleague, Councillor Danny 
Chalkley, the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) and the Motorcycle 
Action Group (MAG) have never supported the introduction of motorcycle 
parking charges in the City of Westminster.  In fact, we have been opposed to 
this measure ever since the idea was first mooted to us in late 2006 during an 
informal consultation.  We were particularly aggrieved by the fact that we were 
not given an opportunity to present our case to the councillors before you 
made a policy decision on the issue based on false information. We have now 
witnessed Councillor Chalkley, on numerous occasions, stating that both 
MAG and BMF had been consulted on this point and thus inferring that we 
were in tacit agreement.  I think you will find that we are clearly not, as 
evidenced by our strong support for the No To Bike Parking Fees Campaign, 
our historic campaigns against motorcycle parking charges and this letter. 
 
As a point of interest, had you been correctly informed of the hostility of our 
responses to the suggestion of charging for motorcycle parking, and in 
particular the fact that there would be no free parking for motorcycles 
anywhere within the City of Westminster, you may have been suitably 
informed of the public opposition to the scheme.  This in turn may have 
instructed you to adopt a different course of action.  This, after all, is the point 
of consultation. 
 
We hope that this letter will totally clarify both MAG and the BMF’s position 
on paying for motorcycle parking, i.e. we are totally opposed to paying for 
motorcycle parking anywhere.  Further to this, we are very much in favour of 
increasing free, secure motorcycle parking to meet demand in line with what 
has been achieved by other local authorities in similar positions to 
Westminster City Council. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
 
 
Cathy Phillpotts 
BMF Greater London Regional Chairman and Director of Political and 
Technical Services 
 
 
 
Gerard Livett 
President of the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations 
Former MAG Greater London Regional Representative and Director of 
transport planning. 
 

---