York parking charges cut after backlash from businesses and residents

York cuts some parking costs as traders warn charges are hurting footfall

York parking charges cut as council responds to business backlash Some York parking charges are being cut after a backlash over increases introduced last year, with the council approving cheaper residents’ permits and bigger discounts in several community parking areas. The changes were approved by York Council’s executive on Wednesday, 9 September, following a review into how the 2025 parking charge increases were introduced and their impact on residents and businesses. Minster Badge cost cut and parking discounts increased The cost of a two-year Minster Badge will fall from £45 to £15 a year, while discounts in selected community parking areas will increase from 30% to 50%. The higher discounts will apply at Bishopthorpe Road, East Parade and Rowntree Park car parks, as well as on-street parking in Micklegate and The Groves. The changes are expected to come into effect in the coming weeks once York Council has updated its parking systems. They follow a £120,000 review by consultants Arup, which examined the impact and handling of parking charge increases introduced in April 2025. The review found that the increases had not been introduced in line with best practice, while some respondents said they had started using affected car parks less often or had chosen to go elsewhere. However, the review also found that the increases were broadly in line with measures introduced elsewhere in the UK and that the council had been balancing parking policy with its aim of reducing congestion. York Council has said the previous increases were part of efforts to cut congestion by a fifth by 2030 and encourage more people to use alternatives to the car. But local businesses have continued to argue that higher parking costs are discouraging customers from visiting York’s shopping areas. Ruth Phillips, co-owner of the Good Food Shop on Bishopthorpe Road, told the council’s executive that traders estimated they had collectively lost £1.6 million since the April 2025 increases. Former Indie York chairman Johnny Hayes described the increases as “over-zealous”, saying the Minster Badge changes were a move in the right direction but did not go far enough. Businesses have also raised concerns about central council car parks that are not covered by the newly increased Minster Badge discounts. Charges there are currently £5 an hour for the first two hours from Sunday to Thursday, rising by 10% on Fridays, Saturdays and during events. Council says parking policy must balance different priorities Cllr Kate Ravilious, York’s Labour transport spokesperson, said the new changes represented a balance between supporting residents and encouraging more sustainable travel. She acknowledged that the way last year’s increases were introduced did not represent best practice, while arguing that higher parking charges had helped support investment in sustainable travel and highways improvements. The council also said it was difficult to separate the effect of parking charge increases from wider economic factors affecting spending and footfall in York and across the country. Opposition councillors and traders remain critical, with concerns that higher parking costs could push shoppers towards out-of-town retail parks and other destinations. The latest decision therefore provides some relief for residents using the affected community parking areas, while the wider debate over parking charges and their effect on York’s businesses is set to continue.