How can Calderdale councillors justify increasing car parking charges in Brighouse and Hebden Bridge town centres? - Yorkshire Post Letters

How can Calderdale councillors justify increasing car parking charges in Brighouse and Hebden Bridge town centres by a 'whooping' 400 per cent at one go? (The Yorkshire Post, November 7, 2024).

This is a sure measure of driving customers away from shopping in these town centres, and could be classed as anti-ageism as some shoppers can only walk short distances, but aren't eligible for a blue badge.

Hebden Bridge and Brighouse currently have independent traders who are struggling to make 'hens meat' or owners of shops paying themselves a weekly wage. Councillors who make these decisions should come into the 'real world' and have more street surgeries to find out the views of both residents and businesses and realise the impacts before making such drastic decisions.

How many councillors have run a business themselves?

In the East Riding of Yorkshire, one of our Ward Councillors who represents Hedon, John Dennis, told me that the running of council services is a business, and as councillors are making financial decisions, which officers employed by the council have to implement, more should have business experience.

It seems like councillors in Calderdale want shoppers to go to the out of town retail parks rather than shop locally in Hebden Bridge or Brighouse?

This along with an increase of 50 per cent in bus fares, from a flat rate of £2 to £3 a journey, is pushing more people to do online shopping, which puts more vans and courier cars containing online shopping goods on roads affecting traffic flows at certain times of the day.

This is another factor contributing to the 'death of the traditional high street', and all I can say is shame on the councillors sitting on the finance, cabinet and full council committee meetings who are making these decisions.

There are other areas in the back offices in town halls which could be cut, or remove a layer of senior or middle management, or reduce councillors generous meetings/attendance allowances and 'lead by example' before putting up car parking charges four fold.