Council to end free bike parking at town hall

Charges for leaving bikes at the Town Hall were dropped during the Covid pandemic

Cyclists will be required to pay a membership charge to leave their bikes in a secure parking area at Leicester Town Hall, the city council has said.

The authority made the facility free in 2020 as a part of a strategy to encourage cycling around the city during the Covid pandemic.

However, a £10 annual fee to use the 200-place bike park is to come in from 7 July.

More than 30,000 bikes were left at the facility in 2024, the council said.

Assistant city mayor Geoff Whittle said the fee represented "excellent" value for money.

"Secure and reliable bike parking is a really important element of encouraging more people to cycle into the city centre," he said.

"The new membership scheme will make parking quicker and easier."

Users of the new scheme will be required to swipe a membership card when they deposit their bike with a member of staff.

Anyone who does not collect their bike on the same day will face a £5 charge, the council added.

The authority said members of its Active Leicester leisure centre membership scheme would be able to add bike park use to their existing accounts with no further charge until 7 July.