A controversial Kirklees Council decision has come into force as new charges are rolled out at 15 car parks across the borough.
The council originally planned to introduce fees at 57 free car parks in Kirklees but this prompted major backlash from communities and councillors alike. With Cllr Carole Pattison (Greenhead, Labour) coming into post as the new Council Leader in July, the controversial scheme was ‘paused’ for review.
The plans were amended and in October, Cabinet agreed to introduce the charges at just 15 car parks with 25 or more spaces, with the first two hours to be free of charge. The official date the new system was implemented was January 1, 2025.
The affected car parks and their charges can be seen in the table below.
The updated charges across Kirklees’ car parks
(Image: Kirklees Council)
This isn’t the only instance Kirklees’ car parking charges have been shaken up recently, with the cost of residential parking permits seeing a steep rise from a one-off £15 charge to £35 annually. A £65 yearly fee payable for a visitor permits was also approved by Cabinet in October, with no cost for a single visitor prior to this decision.
The move was criticised by councillors and members of the public, with Jamie Ellison, Chair of the Town estate and Springbank estate tenants and residents’ association saying residents living near John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield were being “punished” through the permit charges.
On top of this, increased fees were brought in at car parks in Huddersfield, Holmfirth and Dewsbury. Parking in Huddersfield went up from 70p an hour to £1.10 per hour, with fees in Dewsbury and other areas of Kirklees rising from 5p to 50p per hour. Long-stay parking across the borough shot up from £4 all day to £6.50 all day.
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