Wakefield council car park set charges to rise

It is the first rise in car park charges in Wakefield for eight years

Parking charges at council-run car parks across the Wakefield district are set to increase sharply next month.

The local authority also intends to increase prices for on-street parking in Wakefield, Castleford and Pontefract.

It is the first time parking prices in the district have been increased in eight years.

The council said it had been left with "no choice" but to put up prices due to the "financial challenges" it faced.

From 2 April, one-hour charges in almost all council car parks in Wakefield will increase from 90p to £1.20p.

An hour's parking will rise from 70p to £1 in Pontefract and Castleford.

It will increase from 40p to 60p in Normanton, South Elmsall and Ossett.

The one-hour on-street rate will increase from 90p to £1.20p in Wakefield and from 70p to £1 in Pontefract and Castleford.

The council announced its intention to put up parking rates when the 2024/25 budget was approved last month.

The increase is among a number of revenue-generating measures designed to plug a £33m funding gap over the next financial year.

'Financial challenges'

Gary Blenkinsop, the council's service director for environment, streetscene and climate change, said: "Increasing parking charges is always a decision we'd prefer not to make.

"We've not increased charges since 2016 and even with new prices, the district remains one of the cheapest places to park in the region.

"Parking revenue helps support the maintenance of our car parks as well as helping to look after our road network.

"The financial challenges we, and all councils are facing, mean that we are left with no choice but to increase income to help deliver essential services."

Parking charges were reintroduced at most council car parks last April.

Two hours' free parking had been in place at off-street car parks since the start of the pandemic in April 2020.