Town centre parking charges to be reviewed

The impact of parking charges on several West Yorkshire town centres is to be reviewed as part of a consultation.

The charges were introduced last October in Wetherby, Horsforth, Rothwell, Garforth and Guiseley.

People and businesses will be asked for their views on the fees of up to £3.65 a day, which Leeds City Council said was needed to raise cash and pay for maintenance.

Wetherby councillor Alan Lamb - who leads the city's Conservative group - told the meeting: "This was a mistake to start with."

Lamb said some people were struggling to take jobs in the towns affected because of the cost of parking.

"I can see that the car parks are now half-full instead of full, as they were. I can see people parking on residential streets," he said.

The council's executive board voted to go ahead with the review at a Civic Hall meeting on Wednesday.

A report said the comprehensive review would look at financial performance and usage of the car parks, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

James Gibson, Labour's executive member for environment, said: "Let's not forget why we had to introduce car park charges.

"It came off the back of 15 years of huge cuts to Leeds City Council."

Lamb proposed Otley be included in the review of charges but was told the town was outside the scope of the consultation.

The charges are in place at Wilderness and Station Gardens car parks in Wetherby, along with Fink Hill in Horsforth and Barleyhill Road, Garforth.

Marsh Street in Rothwell and Netherfield Road in Guiseley are also affected.

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