Calls for 'common sense' in parking cost review

Businesses have cautiously welcomed plans to review town centre parking charges in Calderdale.

The previously Labour-run Calderdale Council increased parking charges earlier this year in places such as Brighouse and Hebden Bridge - in some cases doubling the hourly cost.

Reform UK gained overall control of the authority in May's local elections and said it was now "looking to review parking charges" in the borough, with calls for the neighbouring Bradford Council to also review its charges.

Jason Taylor, who runs a barbers in Brighouse, said he hoped councillors would "use some common sense" over the "ridiculous" parking charges in the town.

Taylor's family-run business has been operating in Brighouse for more than 100 years.

"We'll wait and see, time will tell, hopefully they're as good as their word," he said.

He urged new council representatives to "look at Brighouse, look at the town itself and ask people what they want and listen to them".

Farook Anwah, who runs a greengrocers in the town, said: "If they're going to review it and do something about it it's a positive.

"But, if they're just saying it - like most politicians do - just to throw it out there to make the public think they're actually working for the public rather than what's in their interest, then it's just the same old same old."

Oliver Blackburn, whose family has run Websters Distinctive Furniture in Brighouse since 1865, said he was glad someone from the council was "more willing to listen to us this time".

He added: "It's still early days, we've got to all remain positive and stick together - and hopefully the council see see sense and reduce the charges."

Blackburn said he had organised an upcoming meeting in his shop to allow fellow traders to meet new councillors.

Kirsty Devine, who opened her shop in Brighouse last year, said: "We're all hopeful, but I think they're going to have to find the money from somewhere - and there's no money tree.

"I'm all open to them looking into things and doing things differently, for sure."

Reacting to the move, art gallery owner Roger Davis said: "If Reform choose to review parking charges in Brighouse, I think that's a lovely idea.

"I think they should do it as quickly as possible."

Speaking earlier this year, the previous Labour administration said the changes to parking charges were "in response to demand for parking spaces" and would "introduce consistency across the borough".

Other proposed changes across the district included starting to charge for parking at Manor Heath and Ogden Water, with a public consultation on this running until Thursday.

Councillor Peter Hunt, Calderdale Council's cabinet member for public services, said the authority was now "looking to review parking charges in the borough, along with a number of other decisions and policies" agreed by the previous administration.

Over in Bradford, the council is under no overall control following the local elections in May.

Council leaders from Reform, which is now running the administration as the authority's largest group, said they were reviewing parking charges.

Since January, Ilkley's parking charges apply from 08:00-20:00, seven days a week including Bank Holidays, with street tariffs varying from £1 per hour to £1.50.

Sarah Brookfield-Almond, manager of the Business Improvement District (BID) in Ilkley, said the increase was having a "detrimental effect" and she had written to the council's new administration about it.

"The Ilkley BID members have seen a serious decline in footfall and turnover," she said.

"We've had members reporting £300 a day decline in takings and we're 61,000 visits down since January of this year."

The previous Labour-led administration said the charges brought the area in line with the rest of Bradford.

The council also raised prices in Bradford city centre, with parking charges for existing short-stay streets rising from £1 per hour to £2.

A Bradford Council spokesperson said: "We are currently undertaking a review of parking charges across the district and a number of areas are of particular interest.

"We will publish our decisions in due course."

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