York parking charges- review by Arup sparks council row

Arup’s review into hikes at Bishopthorpe Road, Heworth, Micklegate in 2025 found while due process was technically followed, the way they were enacted did not follow best practice.

Cllr Kate Ravilious, City of York Council’s Labour transport spokesperson, said they welcomed the findings which acknowledged the challenge of tackling congestion and they valued the review’s recommendations.

But opposition Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Cllr Stephen Fenton said the findings were a damning verdict on the administration’s disastrous handling of the hikes.

It comes as the independent review’s findings are set to be discussed by councillors on Tuesday, June 16.

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Their publication follows a consultation which ran from December to February after the review was triggered by petitions lodged under the Traffic Management Act 2004’s Right to Challenge Parking Policies.

That followed hikes in 2025 which set parking charges at £4.85-an-hour for the first two from Sunday to Thursday and at £5.30-an-hour on Fridays, Saturdays and during events.

It saw charges at Bishopthorpe Road’s car park rise from 80p-an-hour and increases there and to on-street charges in Micklegate were later lowered following a backlash.

The ruling Labour group said at the time the increases were needed to tackle congestion but residents, traders and opposition councillors said they would harm local businesses.

Arup’s review received 1,016 responses across the four areas surveyed, including from 107 business owners and 909 residents and visitors.

Bishopthorpe Road car park (Image: Bishopthorpe Road Traders’ Association)

More than half, 56 per cent, of businesses who responded reported fewer customers and lower spending, while 15 per cent said there was no change.

More than four fifths, 81 per cent, of the residents and visitors who took part in the consultation drove to the destination under review.

Residents and visitors said they were using car parks less often, shortening their stays, leaving their vehicles elsewhere or travelling to different places.

Cheaper parking, improved public transport and walking, wheeling and cycling links were among suggested responses businesses, residents and visitors said the council could consider following the hikes.

Six businesses and 57 residents and visitors said they supported the increase in charges.

Consultants Arup said the hikes had broadly been in line with other similar places in the UK and the council had to balance competing priorities including dealing with congestion.

But they added the handling of the increases fed into local concerns which ultimately led to the review.

Arup’s recommendations following the review included looking free half-hour parking and other options to support short stays and promoting alternatives to driving.

They also called for more transparency and consultation on any future parking hikes, saying the latter had been absent at the time.

The review cost £120,000 to run, £30,000 across each of the four areas surveyed.

Council city development lead Garry Taylor said councillors would have the opportunity to discuss the findings alongside data for transport and the local economy at Tuesday’s Place Scrutiny Committee.

Opposition Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Cllr Fenton said residents, traders and community groups had been telling them the hikes had hurt shops and made it harder to support local businesses.

He said: “Labour repeatedly dismissed those concerns, but this independent report shows they were right.

“Perhaps most tellingly, the report contains no evidence that the parking charge increases have achieved the modal shift Labour claimed they would deliver.”

Opposition economy spokesperson Cllr Ashley Mason said the Liberal Democrats called for spending £300,000 on introducing lower charges for half-hour stays but Labour chose not to support it.

Cllr Ravilious said the administration was seeking to balance survey respondents’ views with others including the quarter of residents who do not have a car.

She added the Liberal Democrats were unwilling to tackle the difficult issues caused by congestion.

Cllr Ravilious said: “The £300,000 investment the Liberal Democrats propose is populist cloud cuckoo economics.

“It wouldn’t be enough to freeze parking charges at last year’s prices, let alone reduce them.

“We value the recommendations that have emerged from the independent consultants but do not want to pre-empt the discussion and any proposals that will come from next week’s Scrutiny Committee meeting.”