Parking charges to be introduced in several parks in Leeds

A Leeds resident is calling the introduction of parking charges in several beauty spots in Leeds a "fresh air tax"

Sharon Slinger
Author: Katie LyonsPublished 18th Jul 2024

Parking charges will soon be enforced in several parks in Leeds. They include Otley Chevin Forest Park, Golden Acre Park, Temple Newsam, Roundhay Park and Middleton Park bike hub.

Sharon Slinger is against the move, and regularly uses the parks, including Golden Acre. She said: "It's massively unfair and impacts different people, in different ways.

"I used to come here with the kids when I was on maternity leave, somewhere free to come along and just get out of the house."

Leeds City Council said they "have exhausted all alternatives to fund improvements in our parks, given the scale of challenge across the council."

They also said: "Like councils across the country, we are facing budget cuts and cost increases as demand for our services grows.

"This impacts all areas of the council and our parks and countryside service no longer has the funding to maintain the infrastructure across its 4,000 hectares of green space to the high standard we want for our residents.

“We’re proud of our parks but many need substantial investment to enable residents safely to enjoy these open spaces in the long term."

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