Councillors asked to rethink hike in Calderdale parking charges and 'show more compassion'

Scrutiny councillors have sent back parking proposals to the council’s cabinet, arguing they need more consideration before being imposed.

Earlier this month, cabinet councillors approved a raft of changes including hikes in charges for many of the borough’s car parks.

The proposals were greeted with a backlash from some residents, councillors and businesses.

After a debate lasting more than two hours, scrutiny councillors agreed to refer all nine proposals back to the cabinet to think about them again.

Concerns included some parking fees going up by 50 or 100 per cent, fairness of permits, how a potential “green permit” would work and possible impacts on Calderdale’s town centres and businesses.

Proposing the reconsideration, Coun Steven Leigh (Con, Ryburn) said 100 per cent increases on anything people should be asked to pay in very difficult times was “unacceptable.”

He said there had been no consultation on the issue, although it was accepted parking revenue was important because it is used for maintaining Calderdale’s roads and traffic had to be managed.

But Coun Leigh said he was having difficulty comprehending a lack of compassion towards Calderdale residents, some of whom had no choice but to use their cars, or town centres which were struggling.

He said there might also be diminishing returns and wanted to know if any proper evaluations and cost sensitivity analysis had been done.

“If total revenue were to go down – and this has already been badly received by the public – it would just be disastrous,” said Coun Leigh.

Responding, Cabinet member for Public Services and Community, Coun Jenny Lynn, said charging which should be reviewed every two years had not been reviewed for four.

Charging was based on the knowledge the council had, including about the needs of its various and different areas, with the aim of ensuring the needs of residents and businesses for parking were met.

There was also an aspect of tackling climate emergency and Coun Lynn said the council made no apologies for that because it was important, with the proposed green permit for electric vehicle users a small incentive to encourage owners to go electric.

Coun Lynn (Lab, Park) said that one case talked about involving a 100 per cent rise was only a 20p increase and at some attractions, such as at Shibden Park, the previous rate charged had been artificially low when compared to similar places in other authorities.

Inner town spaces needed to command a premium tariff with other parking cheaper, and better flow rather than people parking in those spaces all day freed up spaces for shopper, she said.

The council did not think the proposed increases would put people off and income calculations had been produced by officers with experience of previous changes and this had been factored in.

Coun Joe Atkinson (Con, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe) felt proposals would lead to people not walking around a town centre relaxed but instead checking their watches in case their parking ticket ran out and risked driving people to retail parks instead.

“It’s a further attack on car users and local businesses,” he said.