‘Don’t kill our town with parking charges’: Protesters…

‘Don’t kill our town with parking charges’: Protesters take campaign to City Hall

THE devastating impact of new parking charges in Ilkley were highlighted by protesters as Bradford Council met to discuss its budget for the next financial year.

Representatives from Ilkley Town Council, Ilkley Business Improvement District (BID), and Ilkley’s business community staged a protest outside Bradford City Hall on Tuesday, March 10 to make sure “our community’s voices are heard at the highest level”.

The protest was held in response to Bradford Council’s decision to implement parking charges in the town recently which includes the removal of free one-hour parking and the extension of paid parking until 8pm.

Participants included Ali Yazdi, of The Unique Barber, Sarah Brookfield-Almond, manager of Ilkley BID, and councillors Sean Spence, Andrew Loy, David Nunns and Bob Felstead.

The protesters displayed placards highlighting the impact of the new charges on local businesses and the wider community.

The shocking evidence was gathered by Ilkley BID and Ilkley Town Council who collected feedback through several channels.

A parking survey was conducted by Ilkley Town Council and coordinated by Ilkley BID, two drop-in sessions were held at Vitello Lounge, and all BID member businesses were contacted directly via email to provide feedback.

Analysis of the survey responses from 1,600 participants indicated significant impacts on local behaviour and spending. Of those surveyed, 1,163 respondents reported visiting Ilkley less frequently and spending less money in the town. Additionally, 974 respondents, who rely on short trips to support others, stated that they were very negatively affected by the new charges.

Businesses have reported immediate effects on turnover since the charges were introduced:

  • An Ilkley jeweller reported a 30 per cent year-on-year decrease in takings.
  • An Ilkley takeaway reported a reduction in orders of £600 per week.
  • An Ilkley café reported daily sales decreased by £234.
  • An Ilkley butcher recorded 256 fewer customers in February.
  • An Ilkley restaurant reported weekly trade down by £1,000.
  • An Ilkley gift shop reported a 27 per cent drop in sales for February.
  • Additional feedback from the parking survey included comments such as:
  • “Our patients can’t park as shoppers now take all the spaces,” reported by the Medical Centre.
  • “I can’t afford to pay £2 every time I pick up and drop off my children from clubs.”
  • “I make multiple short trips into Ilkley as I care for others – paying is unsustainable.”
  • “Our car park is clogged with people avoiding parking charges and not shopping with us.”

Sarah Brookfield-Almond, Ilkley BID Manager, said: “The role of Ilkley BID is to support local businesses and ensure the high street and wider economy continue to thrive. Feedback collected from the community indicates that the new parking charges are having a detrimental effect on the town. For this reason, we are formally protesting the new parking charges and the devastating impact they are having on our local economy, our businesses and our residents.

“These charges aren’t just an inconvenience – they are a direct threat to the vitality of our high street. Ilkley deserves a parking system that encourages visitors and supports our local shops. We are here to make sure our community’s voices are heard at the highest level. In the meantime, we will continue to fight to improve the situation as well as promoting the current 160 free car parking spaces available.”

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Councillor Andrew Loy said via social media: “Thank you to Ilkley BID and representatives of Ilkley’s business community for coming along to Bradford Council’s budget meeting to represent the town against the recent changes to parking charges. The figures are staggering; takings down 30%, lower footfall and patients struggling to park at the medical centre. We continue to call on Bradford Council to U-turn on this damaging decision.”

Bradford Council has been approached for comment.

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