Charges at council-run car parks in Leeds set to rise

Motorists in Leeds face a rise in parking charges in a move the city council admits will make driving "less attractive".

The majority of tariffs in the city centre, including on-street-parking, will increase by 20p in January after a review of parking fees.

A report about the changes said: "As higher prices may make driving into the city centre less attractive it could lead to a reduction in car journeys as customers choose a different mode of transport such as park and ride.

"A reduction in traffic and congestion also contributes to better air quality."

The report also said that demand for short stay parking in Leeds has "recovered to pre-Covid levels" while long-stay areas are still not "as busy as expected."

Earlier this year, the council had to abandon plans to bring in a 40p-an-hour parking charge at parks and green spaces following a public backlash.

The latest proposals will mean that from 8 January, the price of a two-hour stay at West Street Car Park will rise from £3.70 to £3.90.

A stay of up to four hours at the Leeds Arena car park on Woodhouse Lane will be frozen. However, the charge for a six-hour stay is expected to rise from £7 to £7.50.

A small number of sites will be exempt from the increase, including Beckett Street, near St James' Hospital and Maude Street in the city centre.

There will also be no changes to evening and Sunday charges. Free blue badge parking is also unaffected.

Although the majority of hikes affect the city centre, there are some changes in the suburbs.

A six-hour stay at Gledhow Road in Harehills is likely to go up by 20p to £3.

There is no change at Otley's three free car parks but prices could go up from 40p-an-hour to 50p-an-hour at the town's sites that do charge.

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