ADEL and Wharfedale Councillor, Cllr Billy Flynn, has once again expressed his concerns over Leeds City Council’s proposals to implement car parking charges at Golden Acre park.

A statutory public consultation on the proposal is now live, going through to October 10, 2024. Although he feels this is something of a box-ticking exercise because the previous consultation on the proposal which ended as recently as January this year demonstrated that 80 per cent of those who responded were opposed to the charges. Cllr Flynn is urging residents to take part so that Leeds Council “are under no illusions about public opposition to these charges”.

He is concerned that regardless of the consultation results, if parking charges are implemented, this will create other issues such as anti-social parking on Leeds Road and, even worse, on Arthington Road at the rear entrance to the park as visitors may try to avoid paying the charges. He said this is one of the few remaining public amenities free to use in the ward and generations of Leeds residents from all of the city have enjoyed the facilities for decades.

Councillor Billy Flynn (Conservative, Adel & Wharfedale Ward) said: “Make no mistake this is a deliberate choice by the council, and not something forced upon them. Over the last 5 years local developers have contributed nearly £2million to Leeds Council from the Community Infrastructure Levy raised from housing developments built in our ward so there is plenty of money in the Council pot. However, they have chosen to use the money elsewhere in the city. I would like to be proven wrong, but I do sense there is a feeling of inevitability about this proposal. Similar schemes, like the parking charges in Wetherby, are still being pushed though by the Council despite massive local opposition. I urge all residents to make their views known on this consultation to introduce parking charges at Golden Acre so that the Council is faced with the true picture of local opposition to the scheme.

"If implemented, I also worry about the unintended consequences this decision may cause, such as anti-social car parking in the vicinity of the park as well as the negative knock-on effects on other amenities such as the café in the park. It would be a shame if these were to close as a result of fewer people visiting the park or using the facilities because they have to pay for parking.”

The statutory consultation has begun for the introduction of Golden Acre Car Park charges and will close on 10th October. The email address to submit any objections to is: goldenacre.parking@leeds.gov.uk