Planned charges at five car parks to be scrapped

Charges which were set to be introduced at five car parks in Calderdale have been scrapped, the council's new leadership has announced.

The charges were due to be brought in at two car parks in Elland, as well as car parks in Northowram, Ogden and Heptonstall.

Reform UK council leader Dan Sutherland said planned parking charges at Brighouse had also been paused for further review, but charges in Elland, Skircoat at Halifax, Sowerby Bridge and Hebden Bridge would still come in.

Sutherland said the proposed charges which had been introduced by the previous Labour administration were "an example of perhaps a lack of common sense, or a thought about the consequences for local people".

Sutherland confirmed parking would remain free at the Beech Street and John Street car parks in Elland, the Ogden Water car park in Ogden, the Towngate car park in Heptonstall and the Towngate car park in Northowram.

Peter Hunt, Reform UK councillor for Elland, and the council's cabinet member for public services, said the new administration had undertaken a full "root and branch" review of the proposed changes.

He said: "To be clear, to reach the full savings originally proposed last year, these increases would need to have been implemented in April.

"Due to meeting budget targets, parking charges will be implemented in Elland, Skircoat, Sowerby Bridge and Hebden Bridge."

Hunt added: "While this decision will reduce the additional income originally anticipated within the budget, we are still on target to meet our planning income target this year."

Sutherland, who represents Illingworth and Mixenden, said: "We are very keen that people are able to get into our towns, find a parking space, be able to pay an affordable price for the parking space and then go and do their shopping and leisure so we can keep our businesses in our towns thriving."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Sutherland told the August meeting of the council's cabinet that parking charges were an area the authority would continue to consider.

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