'Unpopular' parking charges ‘will raise council £335k a year’ for cash-strapped Leeds City Council

Leeds City Council is planning to scrap free parking at the sites in Wetherby, Horsforth, Garforth, Rothwell and Guiseley.

The plan faced huge opposition when a consultation was launched in December last year.

Surveys found between 84 and 96 per cent of respondents were opposed to charges. Thousands of people also signed petitions against the move.

A council report said: “This is not surprising given that people are being asked to pay for something that they have considered to be free.”

The council is seeking to press ahead with the charges, which would be in place between 8am-6pm, Monday-Saturday, as it faces a multi-million pound budget gap.

The report said the estimated annual revenue for charges at the six car parks was £335,500 in total.

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Blue badge holders will be exempt from the new payments, made by bank card or mobile phone app. Card payments would include a 15p fee.

The report said: “Cash payments are not proposed due to the problem of theft and vandalism.”

Motorists would get up to one hour for free, then pay £1.15 for two hours, rising to a daily maximum of £3.65. Weekly tickets would cost £12.15.

Charges would be lower at one of the car parks, Station Gardens in Wetherby, where up to three hours would be free because it used by sports teams.

At that car park there would be a £2.15 daily charge and weekly tickets costing £10.15.

The report said: “The introduction of a modest charge for car parking would enable improvement works to be carried out as well as meet costs associated with maintaining car park areas.”

The six car parks are: Wilderness and Station Gardens in Wetherby, Fink Hill in Horsforth, Barleyhill Road in Garforth, Marsh Street in Rothwell and Netherfield Road in Guiseley.