Delay call on change in parking charges

Last month the council published proposals to increase some charges and reduce others, but Conservative Councillor Matthew Lobley is concerned that the decision was taken without proper consultation.

He said there was “scant explanation why some charges have changed, and is not the in-depth review of charges that the city needs.”

Now he is leading a “call-in” of the decision to one of the council’s scrutiny boards, which will decide on today whether to ask officers to reconsider the proposals.

Councillor Lobley said: “Car parking charges have important, far-reaching implications for businesses in the city, not to mention the council’s finances, yet all we have is a three-page report and a decision taken by officers without any consultation whatsoever.

“The report says that there has been an in-depth review, but there simply isn’t the detail in the report to substantiate that claim and the process looks deeply flawed.

“We were led to believe that there would be strong member input into the review, but this hasn’t happened. The issue is too important to be pushed through the officer-delegated decision process without the opportunity for members to debate the issue.

“It is vital that the council sets the right car parking charges to encourage shoppers into Leeds.

“We need a thorough, open review that clearly demonstrates the wider strategy.”

The Tories have called for a 20 per cent reduction in car parking charges in the central area of the city, to be funded by an increase in the number of parking meters used city wide.

Five Tory councillors have asked for the decision to be looked at again. A scrutiny board will meet today to determine whether it should ask officers to reconsider the proposals.