Parking charges would drive shoppers away, businesses fear
Parking charges would drive shoppers away, businesses fear
Gemma Dillon - West Yorkshire political reporter; Elizabeth BainesTue, October 20, 2026 at 5:37 AM UTC
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Mehdi Khassafi worries parking charges in Ossett will drive people out of the townWakefield Council is considering scrapping parking concessions across the district.
Parking charges would be a "nail in the coffin for us", says Julie Wooley. The 59-year-old works in Ossett and fears the planned scrapping of a parking scheme across the Wakefield borough would be detrimental for the town.
"We have really good markets and it brings people in, but if you scrap the free parking, people will go to big places like Trinity Walk and White Rose," she says.
Reform UK councillors are proposing to cut a current two-hour free parking concession.
The plan, set to be decided later, would also see changes in resident permit charges and increased on-street parking fees with a free 30-minute period, along with the launch of a consultation on a £1 evening parking rate.
The proposal follows a review which found that changes, if applied across the borough, could raise more than £1.8m for Wakefield Council.
"We are worried," Mehdi Khassafi says.
The cook at the Speciality Sandwich Shop on Market Place is cleaning up after a day of trading.
"This is a really really small town," he says.
"This is not a city, this is not Leeds or Sheffield.
"We have got Tuesday market and Friday market, the rest of the week is quiet," he says.
"If they are going to put parking charges around us no one is going to come to town."
Julie Wooley believes parking charges will push people to larger cities
The free parking scheme in place across Wakefield was introduced in November 2025.
According to the review, the two-hour free parking has made "little difference to footfall in city and town centres".
Keith Anderson, the council's cabinet member for highways, transport and planning, has defended the changes, calling the two-hour free parking "unsustainable and irresponsible".
"We have inherited a parking offer that the council was never able to afford," he says.
"This has resulted in the whole community effectively subsidising parking costs and it is putting services that residents rely on at risk.
"We are taking the action needed to plug the black hole in our budget so we can start maintaining our car parks better, improve our whole parking offer and do the right thing for local taxpayers."
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Betty Halliwell and daughter Elaine Orr say they will stop shopping in Castleford if the council scraps free parking.
Fifteen miles away, shoppers in Castleford echo the voices of Ossett.
Elaine Orr, 49, and her mum Betty Halliwell, 76, come to Castleford from Kippax a couple of times a week and take advantage of the free parking.
Orr says they like coming because it is "free and easy" and they do not just come to the town for shopping.
"We come in, pop to the cafe, have a drink and a bite to eat and then get our shopping and we've done it in two hours - the fruit and veg stall in the market, the bank and the deli."
Halliwell questions "why the council are being so greedy" and worries that it is shopkeepers who will "lose out" if the council starts charging for parking.
Orr says if the charges were reintroduced they would probably choose to go to Garforth instead which has free parking, or the Springs or a supermarket.
But she is adamant they "will not be coming to Castleford, which is a shame because we always have done".
Dawn Durrant is a resident of Castleford and is concerned without free parking people will stay away
Dawn Durrant lives within walking distance of Castleford's High Street but says the plan to scrap free parking is "disgusting".
She remembers a time when the town was bustling and believes a lack of investment has left it like a "ghost town".
"The town needs revamping and more stores, it is dead. I do not come to shop here much because there is nothing here," she says.
Durrant is worried that if people are charged to park, it will stop shoppers coming altogether which will further damage the businesses that remain.
She also questioned the council's reasoning, saying: "It's not going to entice people to come to Castleford.
"If they've got to pay to park what are they coming for?"
Anderson maintains that council-run car parks will "remain competitive".
"The 30 minutes' free on-street parking and removal of the convenience charge are affordable and practical and will help motorists and businesses.
"Put together, this is a balanced and responsible parking offer that delivers value for money.
"It makes sure we can improve these services for our residents and can support the businesses who rely on good-quality parking for their customers, whilst not financially impinging on other essential council services funding."
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City set to scrap two-hour free parking
City's two-hour free parking start date confirmed
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Wakefield Council
Source: “AOL Money”
