MP Calls New Bradford Parking Charges an ‘Insult’ to Residents

An MP has characterized the recently implemented parking charges in Bradford as “an insult to hardworking people.” These changes, which include a £35 yearly charge for residents’ parking permits introduced earlier this month, are projected by Bradford Council to generate £2.7 million over the coming two and a half years. Subsequently, multiple petitions demanding the abolition of these fees have been initiated. One such petition was formally submitted to Parliament on Tuesday by Robbie Moore, the Conservative MP representing Keighley and Ilkley, who deemed the charges “extortionate.” Susan Hinchcliffe, the Labour leader of Bradford Council, commented, “These are difficult but balanced choices we have to make all the time.” The parliamentary process allows MPs to submit petitions to solicit an official government reply, thereby elevating the national awareness of local concerns. Moore’s petition specifically sought to prompt the government to request that Bradford Council rescind its new parking charge policy. Approximately 14,000 resident and visitor permits are issued annually throughout Bradford, generating an estimated £500,000 per year. Addressing the House of Commons, Moore stated: “We are now hearing stories of local shops losing nearly half their footfall, and residents being forced to pay just to park outside their own homes. “These extortionate charges are an insult to hardworking people who are being asked to pay the price of a litany of failures by Bradford Council’s current leadership.” He further asserted that Bradford Council’s leadership had “chosen to charge residents to park where they live, where they work and where they shop.” Moore declared: “I certainly won’t stay silent while families and local businesses pay the price, which is exactly why I have now brought this issue to the national stage. “It’s clear Bradford Council leaders are failing local residents and need to urgently rethink these proposals.” In response to Moore’s remarks, Hinchcliffe countered: “Parking is not free. There’s always maintenance of car parks councils have to pay for. “But if you provide that for free, then you have to charge or cut something elsewhere. So these are difficult but balanced choices we have to make all the time.”