Drivers of the most polluting cars will pay more to park in the borough of Greenwich when the council introduces new emissions-based parking charges from next week.

Resident permits in most areas will range from £20 to £300 per year under the proposals, designed to push residents into buying cleaner vehicles or ditching their cars altogether. All diesel vehicles will be liable for a £50 surcharge.

Pay-by-phone charges will range from 70p to £7 per hour, depending on how polluting the vehicle is and where the car park is. Pay and display parking will be either £2, £5 or £7 per hour.

Business permits will range from between £55 and £825 a year. The new charges apply from July 24.

Lewisham Council introduced a similar scheme three years ago, and Greenwich’s plans are part of its transport strategy, which was approved last year.

In Greenwich, drivers will pay more if their vehicle emits more than 110g/km of carbon dioxide. If more than one vehicle is registered at the same address, a £100 surcharge will be applied for each additional vehicle.

Averil Lekau, the council’s deputy leader, said: “We’re committed to improving air quality and cutting pollution in Greenwich, to help make the borough a greener, safer and more attractive place to live.

“These changes to parking charges and permit costs will encourage residents and businesses to embrace more environmentally friendly ways to travel, including using public transport, low emission vehicles, walking, cycling and scooting.

“This is a key part of the council’s drive to become carbon neutral by 2030. Air pollution is a risk to us all, and particularly the most vulnerable people in our communities. Strong action like this is essential to protecting the health and wellbeing of our residents and tackling the detrimental impact poor air quality and carbon emissions have on our environment.”

Drivers will be charged based using their vehicle’s CO2 emission categories, as registered with the DVLA. The new system will use 13 emission bands, offering discounts of up to 80 per cent for the least polluting vehicles.

Permit prices in Abbey Wood, Blackheath Standard, Charlton, Eltham North and Westcombe Park will change at a later date because those controlled parking zones are being revised.

Greenwich plans to extend CPZs across the borough as part of its transport strategy, a plan which has met controversy in the south of the borough. However, recent plans for a revised parking zone in Charlton still contained some free-parking streets, despite restrictions being tightened on neighbouring roads.

More details about the new scheme are at www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/emissions-based-parking.