Parking charges set to rise across West Yorkshire
We're looking at the issue as part of our week-long look at how our councils' budget proposals will affect you
From parks and high streets to some of the roads people live on - parking is set to get more expensive in lots of places across West Yorkshire.
All this week we're looking at how our local councils' budget plans will affect you as they try to plug multimillion pound funding gaps. Upping parking charges is one of the most common proposals, with several councils planning to a wave of new or increased costs.
Leeds parks
In Leeds, plans to bring in parking charges at Golden Acre Park and Otley Chevin Forest Park have been meet with public opposition. Of 4,493 people who gave their views as part of a consultation on the charges at Golden Acre, 80 per cent opposed the idea. Some 84 per cent disagreed with charges being introduced at Otley Chevin, with 2,964 taking part.
Dog walkers we spoke to at Golden Acre told us they visit the park once or even twice a day and would be forced to stop coming if charges were introduced:
“It’s a joke,” said one man.
“I think it’s terrible. It’s just a lovely place and if they start charging people will have to stop coming. You can’t get a bus here. They’ll be parking on the roads or down at the bottom, so then they’ll double yellow line that. They need to find other ways of saving money.”
“We do come here quite a lot and I don’t think they should be charging,” another woman said.
“They’re trying to encourage you to do walks for your mental health. And if they’re going to charge are they going to pay for all the potholes doing? To charge for a carpark in this state I don’t think is very fair.”
Leeds Council is also proposing car park charges at Barley Hill Road in Garforth, Netherfield Road in Guiseley, Fink Hill in Horsforth and Marsh Street in Rothwell, as well as Middleton Park, Roundhay Park and Temple Newsam Park.
The issue was raised at the council’s Environment, Housing and Communities board recently, where James Rogers, director of communities, housing and environment, said there would be a second stage of consultation on the proposals:
“We are still mid-process on this particular issue,” he said.
“No decision has been made.
“Clearly the funding will help contribute to the significant budgetary pressures we have got in delivering a parks and countryside service, servicing and supporting 4,000 hectares of green space across the city.”
A report to the meeting said charges would help fund resurfacing, signage and ongoing maintenance. It warned if funding is not identified, the car parks will continue to decline with limited opportunity for any significant improvements.
Permit parking in Kirklees
In Kirklees, people living in part of Lindley say a proposed 200 per cent increase to the cost of parking is ‘unfair’.
Currently the cost of a permit is a one-off payment of £15, but this is set to rise to an annual payment of £50. Residents need one permit per car plus a visitor permit for any guests, and they need a new permit each time they change their car.
For resident Dave Kendall-Smith that's £150 pound a year:
“We have two cars and one visitor’s permit. Most of the people who live in our area are in back-to-back terraced houses, there isn’t even enough room for everyone’s cars anyway. So they’re not even guaranteed a space and they’re also less well off.”
He also owns a local business and is concerned about proposals to introduce parking charges for people visiting the local high street.
“We have a thriving high street here and we currently have free parking for a limited amount of time and that gives people the time to pop in and look around the shops,” says Lindley Lib Dem councillor Anthony Smith.
“Introducing parking charges is only going to deter people from coming to high streets and push them out to supermarkets and town centres. The local businesses are already struggling.”
Councillor Aafaq Butt, Cabinet Member for Culture and Greener Kirklees, said: “The council has undertaken a review of its residential parking permit scheme in recent months, including a consultation which ended on 11th January 2024.
“All comments received are being considered before implementing any changes. However, the initial review identified that the current scheme of £15 for life falls short of the costs associated with providing the service, including enforcement, administration, lining and signing maintenance.”
Bradford parking charges
Bradford Council is also proposing major parking changes as part of its budget as it tries to stave off bankruptcy. Off-street parking charges in all towns and villages across the district are set to be standardised at £1 per hour, bringing Shipley and Keighley into line with places like Bingley, Saltaire and Haworth. It also includes villages such as Silsden, Wilsden, Baildon.
In ‘high demand’ car parks the hourly charge will increase from £1 to £1.50, including at locations such as South Hawksworth Street in Ilkley and the Parsonage Museum in Haworth.
There will also be a standard charge for parking permits, with the council saying there are currently no charges for resident and visitor permits which is out of sync with neighbouring areas.
There are currently 13,887 live resident and visitor permits in the Bradford district. The council plans to introduce a charge of £35 per permit, as well as increasing the cost of a health and social care visitor permit (private providers) from £10 per year to £25 per year. They also plan to increase the cost of a business and worker permit from £150 per year to £250 per year.