Anger as thousands sign petition against Leeds City Council’s proposed car parking charges in Wetherby

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Thousands of residents have signed an online petition protesting against car parking charges in Wetherby that have been proposed by Leeds City Council.

Conservative Councillor Alan Lamb has launched the petition objecting to the council’s proposals at the Wilderness and Station Gardens car parks.

The proposals have been fought off several times before and since launching the petition on Monday, November 20, it has gained over 3,700 signatures and counting.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Councillor Lamb said: “This decision will be hugely damaging to Wetherby and the surrounding villages.

Thousands of residents have signed an online petition protesting against car parking charges in WetherbyThousands of residents have signed an online petition protesting against car parking charges in Wetherby
Thousands of residents have signed an online petition protesting against car parking charges in Wetherby

“It is a short sighted decision that will cost more than it might raise.

"At a time when we need to support the independent businesses and the town centre as a whole, this will be hugely damaging.

"Proposals have been fought off several times before and we need to come together and do it again.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Leeds City Council previously came under fire earlier this year after proposals were announced to introduce parking charges at Leeds beauty spots such as Roundhay Park, Golden Acre Park and Temple Newsam.

The plans, which included charges starting at 40p-an-hour, and led to much criticism, have now been officially scrapped for the time being.

Councillor Lamb’s move to block the proposals have been backed by the Better Wetherby group who have voiced concerns over the “negative impact” the introduction of car parking charges could have on the town centre.

Roger Owen, Chair of Better Wetherby Partnership, said: "Wetherby has managed to be fairly resilient through the pandemic but the warning signs are there with several shop closures and a small number of Thursday market traders leaving us, not to mention the national issue of bank branch closures.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Better Wetherby strongly believes that introducing parking charges at the main car parks would have a negative impact on the town centre and the shops and businesses located within our town.

"We also do not believe that this would be a cost-effective process due to the implementation and on-going enforcement costs.”

There will be a public meeting at Wetherby Methodist Church on Tuesday, December 5 from 7pm.

To sign the petition, visit https://chng.it/pTv8xwXfBW

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1836
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice