CONTROVERSIAL plans to introduce parking charges at a number of sites are set to be approved by Bradford Council.

The Council’s executive will meet to rubber-stamp proposals for changes to off-street parking places.

The proposed changes are at city centre premium car parks in Bradford, Ian Clough Hall in Hall Cliffe and The Grove in Baildon town centre, Briggate and Commercial Street in Bingley, Bronte Village and Gas Street in Haworth, the area around the Arts Centre, Wesley Place and and Bridge Street in Keighley.

A report into the proposals included amendments to charges, the removal of free periods for parking and the introduction of charges is expected to produce an extra £57,500 in income for the Council.

The Council’s executive will meet on Tuesday, January 10.

These were agreed as part of the authority’s full budget on February last year.

Bradford Council held a public consultation with residents to remove the charges in November last year. They are part of amendments to the Off-Street Parking Places Consolidation Order 2015.

Cllr Debbie Davies (Con, Baildon) has opposed the plan in Baildon to remove the free first hour of parking at the two car parks. It suggested a charge of 30p for the first hour or parking at both sites in the town, between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday.

A petition against the plans in Baildon received more than 300 signatures.

She said: “It is a short-sighted decision which will not bring in a large amount of money.

“These plans are not really supporting local businesses at all.

“It is going to cause more harm than good. It’s only for the sake of raising a little bit of money.

“The parking charges will cause unnecessary additional problems.”

A report into the parking proposals, presented to the Council, said: “The level of charges being proposed are considered to be reasonable and proportionate for the parking offered.”

A plan to introduce parking charges at St Ives in Harden provoked a petition of protest signed by 5,592 people but a call to ditch the charges was rejected by the Council's decision-making executive when it reconsidered the issue late last year.

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