Parking charge plan for Leeds parks scrapped

Parking fees were proposed for 30 green spaces across Leeds to help plug a financial gap in the council's budget

Plans to charge drivers to park at some of Leeds' major parks have been scrapped despite the city's "challenging" financial position.

Leeds City Council had intended to introduce 40p-an-hour parking charges later this year, but announced on Thursday it was axing the proposal.

A spokesperson said the decision was made after "gauging public opinion".

The authority has previously said it needs to save £69.8m as part of the 2023-24 budget.

Roundhay Park (pictured), Golden Acre Park and Middleton Park, were among the sites where charges were set to be introduced

Announcing the decision, Salma Arif, executive member for public health and active lifestyles, said the charges would have help pay for improvements to parks and contribute to the council's budgetary pressures.

She said: "However, having listened to the valuable feedback we have received from residents, we will not be progressing this proposal at this time.

"Nonetheless, the financial outlook for all local authorities remains challenging and further work will need to be done to identify further savings and efficiencies for 2024/25 onwards."

The scheme had previously been backed by West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin, who said it would be "good for the environment" as people may reconsider driving.