Controversial new parking charges that will see motorists pay almost double the amount to park in some parts of Bradford will be introduced later this month.
The revised on-street parking charges in the centre of Bradford and Ilkley will be introduced starting on Monday, 19 January.
The changes, announced last year, will see the cost of parking on some Bradford streets rise from £1 to £2 an hour.
But other proposals have been scaled back after the changes were heavily criticised.
Bradford Council says the changes will “introduce a simplified tariff structure which will be easier for visitors to understand and will improve the customer experience.”
But when the price hike was announced some business owners raised fears the charges would put off visitors to the city centre.
The new arrangements include revised charging hours in some locations, alongside new pay and display provision in areas that were previously free to park.
In Ilkley town centre, several residential and commercial streets will have pay and display parking between 8am and 8pm, seven days a week including bank holidays.
They will be priced at £1 per hour with maximum stay periods applying to blue badge holders.
After a consultation process that led to a huge amount of objections, New Brook Street, Kings Road and Cowpasture Road will provide over 160 parking spaces which retain the free hours parking.
In Bradford city centre, charges on existing short-stay streets including SPunbridge Road, Kirkgate, Westgate and Darley Street will be set at £2 per hour, with a two-hour maximum stay during daytime hours.
This brings the charges in line with other Councils in West Yorkshire. The Little Germany area and surrounding will be charged at £1 per hour, with discounted all-day rates for stays over five hours.
The original order was for the charges to apply between 8am – 10pm. This would mean a visit to the city centre from 6pm to 10pm would cost £8 – a huge rise from the current £1 it costs to park between 6pm and midnight.
Following the consultation, the Council has made the decision to only enact these charges between 8am and 8pm.
Charges will also apply to Bank Holidays. Maximum stay limits will also now apply to blue badge holders but will remain free for them to park.
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “We have listened to feedback from local people and businesses, and these carefully-considered revisions reflect that valuable input. These changes bring our on-street parking charges into line with neighbouring authorities and reflect some of the feedback we’ve had over the original proposals.”
Changes will be rolled out gradually during January and February, with signs and machine displays updated with the new tariffs.
Full details of the Order, including a complete list of affected streets and tariff codes, will be available from January 16 on the council’s website and at Customer Services Reception in City Hall, and at Ilkley Library.
