Tory claims high price of parking puts off shoppers

Tory opposition group leader on Leeds Council Councillor Andrew Carter says a dip in car parking takings is due to a drop in visitors who are put off by high charges at council and private car parks.

Coun Carter said: "I have been warning senior officers now for 18 months that car parking charges were rising at an unsustainable rate and that we would 'kill off the goose that laid the golden egg'.

"This has now clearly happened. It isn't just the council, however, it is the private sector car parks provided in Leeds who are also, I understand, seeing a fall off in revenue.

"I know the charging 'fanatics', of whom we have far too many in the city council, will blame unauthorised car parks that have opened in the south of Leeds but that, quite frankly, is an excuse.

"The simple fact is that the general public are voting with their feet, or rather their cars, and choosing not to come into the city centre and this trend has to be reversed.

"I was astonished that the new administration allowed car parking charges to go up again in June/July of this year and that should be reversed as quickly as possible."

He said that 18 months ago he blocked moves to introduce car parking charges on Sunday.

"In the short term the council should be looking to introduce a car park charging 'holiday' in the run up to Christmas with free short-term parking introduced on certain key shopping days leading up to Christmas and then we should be looking to reduce the cost of short-term car parking across the board in the city centre permanently and as quickly as possible.

"Whilst this will be a unit cost to the council I believe it will get more people shopping in the city centre and therefore more people paying car parking charges at a more reasonable level and the cost to the council will be minimal."

Councillor Tom Murray, executive board member for environmental service, said car parking charges were being reviewed as part of general budget cuts.

He said: "Whatever decision we arrive at with regard to car parking...I would like to assure local businesses that the preservation and promotion of Leeds' economy will be high on the list of considerations."