Report Template

Meeting:	Executive
Meeting date:	3 June 2025
Report of:	Garry Taylor, Director of City Development
Portfolio of:	Executive Member for Transport

Decision Report: Review of Parking Charges

Subject of Report

1. By changing how we move around the city, residents will benefit from a healthier, more sustainable and better-connected city. By reducing vehicle traffic, York will be an even better place to live, attracting investment and employment and helping residents live longer, happier, healthier lives.

2. The Local Transport Strategy was adopted by Executive in July 2024. It will transform how residents move around the city. Executive have already invested over £50m in bus improvements and the station gateway and approved sustainable travel routes that are designed to create a more accessible, affordable and healthier transport network.

3. To be effective and reliable, and a viable option for residents, commuters and visitors, buses need to move through the city without being hindered by traffic congestion.

4. The recently adopted Local Transport Strategy was based on extensive consultation about transport. During the consultation, residents told us the rhythm of their lives is dictated by the roads and networks that dominate our city, that congestion was a significant issue for many people and they supported reducing the number of car miles driven in the city - with a target of reducing driven miles by 20% by 2030.

5. Recognising this, Executive made several recommendations to Full Council for the Budget to change carparking charging, to reflect the public consultation on both the budget and Local Transport Strategy. These recommendations were informed by the extensive evidence base on parking charges as a tool to reduce traffic congestion.

6. The Budget was consulted on as part of the engagement process around budget setting, known as Our Big Budget Conversation, with parking charges among the issues discussed at workshops and included within the consultation.

7. Since the new car parking charges have been implemented, their impact has caused concern to a range of communities and therefore Executive has asked for an opportunity to review these charges.

8. Petitions have been received about the changes in parking prices at Bishopthorpe Road and East Parade. A letter has been received calling for a review of parking charges at Bishopthorpe Road under the Statutory Guidance - Right to challenge parking policies, Traffic Management Act 2004: Network Management Duty Guidance. This report details how this review will be managed (para 66).

9. Proposals to change carparking charges are contained within the report to be considered by Executive for approval.

Benefits and Challenges

10. It was recognised the journey to encourage a shift in travel choices is bold and ambitious.

11. It sets us on a path that will potentially lead to some change and disruption, as it encourages residents to consider how they currently move in and around the city and join us on a journey that will improve the quality of life for all residents.

12. Delays suffered by bus services in York city centre cause delays and unreliability across the York and North Yorkshire region and, as a result of city centre traffic congestion, deter people from using the bus.

13. Changes such as improved bus measures have made the bus a more attractive and a more viable option. However, as with any significant change there will be a period of adjustment to the new parking charges, with potential for some adverse impacts as outlined in the Equalities Impact Assessment.

14. Listening to the challenges residents and businesses have described following the Budget-approved changes to parking prices, there is now an early opportunity to review them.

Policy Basis for Decision

15. In December 2022, the council adopted the 10-Year Strategy and Policy Framework which is comprised of three interdependent 10-year strategies (Climate Change, Health and Wellbeing and Economic), together with a 10-Year City Plan co-designed by city partners. The 10-year strategies were informed by existing or emerging national and local policies, extensive resident consultation and stakeholder roundtable discussions and set the foundation for the council’s Strategy and Policy Framework for the decade ahead.

16. The 10-Year City Plan sets an ambitious and bold vision for the decade ahead: by 2032 York will be a vibrant, prosperous, welcoming and sustainable city, where everyone can share and take pride in its success.

17. The Climate Change Strategy 2022-2032 sets a target to reduce carbon emissions inherent in transport by 71%, reducing miles travelled by fossil fuelled transport by 20% by 2030.

18. The Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022-2032 describes an all-age approach to health and wellbeing and sets out to reduce health inequalities, including improving air quality and encouraging social connection, with health, care and community partners currently exploring movement and place as a factor in driving positive, or negative, health outcomes.

19. The Local Transport Strategy is a key priority of the 10-Year City Plan, with city partners and residents united in setting the expectation that the council would work with the city to develop a transport system that by 2032, will be inclusive and sustainable, connecting neighbourhoods and communities.

20. The Local Transport Strategy covers the period from 2024-2040 and will need to support and deliver the approved Local Plan, which defines how the city will grow.

21. The Council Plan 2023-2027, approved by Full Council in 2023, maps to the York 2032 Ten Year Strategy vision and priorities, with the Council Plan aiming to establish the conditions that would enable successful delivery of the ambition set for York by 2032. This includes listening to and learning from the disabled community to shape a more accessible city centre, developing a Movement and Place Plan to reduce carbon emissions (as set out by the Climate Change Strategy) and finding ways to make the footstreets more accessible, welcoming and family friendly.

Local Transport Strategy

22. The Council has adopted a Local Transport Strategy and accompanying Implementation Plan which seeks to transform our city’s transport network, by giving people more options, no matter where they live, work or study, or however they travel. We can improve residents’ health through better air quality and making it easier to be physically and socially active. We can make it easier for people across the region to travel to York, strengthening our economy by attracting both commuters and visitors to the city. We can keep our economy moving by reducing congestion through a new transport strategy which focuses on moving the maximum number of people – not vehicles – and reducing vehicle dominance throughout York’s public spaces.

23. The strategy was based around extensive consultation on transport, where residents have told us that the current network limits their options. We heard from college students having to choose apprenticeships not based on the best and most relevant to them, but ones they can reach by bus or cycle. We heard from businesses whose delivery drivers get caught in congestion; bus users who need more reliable services which run on time and go where they need to go. In addition, the strain this puts on our transport and health systems creates demand on public services that we can no longer afford. That congestion was a significant issue for many people, and they supported policies including:

Policy focus area 5: Safeguarding our environment by cutting carbon, air pollution and noise - we will encourage the take-up of electric vehicles because they have no tailpipe emissions. However, we know that simply converting existing internal combustion-engine trips to electric vehicle trips will not be enough to meet Climate Change targets, reduce congestion, or improve air quality and health sufficiently. We must achieve reductions in the absolute number of car miles travelled too.

24. The parking pricing model that was approved as part of budget for City of York Council set a consistent parking price for parking across the city centre, with the aim of reducing congestion by making travel by bus, cycle and walking a more attractive option that driving into the city, and reducing congestion associated with searching for the cheapest parking places.

25. As part of the budget for 2025/26, car parking prices across the centre of York were increased by an average of around 50% for the first and second hour, with the increase tapering off for subsequent hours. This was designed to incentivise bus travel by making the first two hours of parking slightly more expensive that the cost of a family bus ticket. Assuming a short-term parking elasticity of -0.3, the anticipation was that the price increase would lead to a drop in demand of 10 to 15% and a potential reduction in traffic volumes of around 2%.

26. For some areas of York, the new parking pricing model resulted in a very significant percentage increase in price, with the most extreme being at Bishopthorpe Road car park, one of very few areas near the city centre with anomalously low parking rates of under £1 an hour. This car park previously charged 80p for one hour, but under the new charges moved to £4.85 for the first hour: a 500% increase. Similarly, some on-street locations had anomalously low prices previously, making the new prices a significant rise. Independent traders and residents have raised concerns about the impact of such an increase on footfall and trade.

27. Some adaptations to the parking price model have been developed in response to concerns that have been raised, providing a more graduated approach to the rise in parking prices in community shopping areas outside of the inner ring road, whilst being careful not to undermine the goals of the Local Transport Strategy.

28. By developing an approach to start the journey to transform the city, and approve the proposals listed, the council will respond to the four core commitments, as below:

Equalities and Human Rights: Our Big Transport Consultation, which informed the Local Transport Strategy, ensured broad participation to best represent the city, including discussions with the Youth Council and school children which helped us understand what would help young people feel safe on the transport network.

Affordability: Providing different ways to make the city more affordable for residents includes bus concessions for young people, prioritising cycle and footpath improvements in areas of deprivation and, more generally, provides more mobility options for people who do not have access to a car (one in four households in York don’t have access to a car) – something which could be dictated by personal choice or health/ affordability constraints. Blue Badge holders can park for free in Council car parks and in ResPark zones.

Climate and Environment: The changes to car parking prices supporting policies within the Local Transport Strategy are designed to accelerate a reduction in carbon emissions, with the target of reducing CO₂ emissions from transport by 71% by 2030, by reducing vehicle miles driven by 20%.

Health and wellbeing: The Local Transport Strategy provides an approach to citywide transformation that will reduce air pollution and enable more physical and social activity, through promotion and facilitation of active modes of transport. This is aligned with other Council priorities, such as those set out in York’s Air Quality Management Plans.

Financial Strategy Implications

29. The charges laid out in the budget were clearly set to help deliver a change in travel behaviour to support delivery of the Local Transport Strategy, with forecast income reflected in the budget. The proposals laid out in this report (which are assessed in the implications section below) are not considered to be significant in relation to the overall Parking budget. The council’s regular budget monitoring process will track usage and income throughout the year and advise whether any mitigating actions will be required.

Recommendation and Reasons

30. Executive is invited to take a holistic city-wide approach to considering the options presented and:

a) approve an increase in the discount for the Minster Badge to 30% of the standard parking charge, from the current 24%.

Reason: to minimise the impact of parking charges on residents

b) maintain existing on-street parking charges on and inside the inner ring road, with the following exception at (c);

Reason: to ensure parking charges reflect the costs of congestion and contribute to Local Transport Strategy objectives

c) to approve the adjusting of charges in the Micklegate and Priory Street area to the ‘outside the inner ring road’ on-street parking rate, rather than its existing higher city centre rate. This will be reviewed in the future. City centre evening parking rates for this area will still apply.

Reason: To recognise the anomalously low charges in this area previously, and to allow local business time to adjust to future increases in parking rates

d) maintain existing charging at all city centre car parks with the exception of Bishopthorpe Road, which it’s proposed is moved in line with charges approved for community car parks at East Parade and Rowntree Park in the council’s 2025-26 Budget.

e) approve a standard lower rate outside the inner ring road to apply to on-street parking, matching rates at Bishopthorpe Road, East Parade and Rowntree Park Car Parks.

f) approve that East Parade Car Park should remain matched to the ‘outer’ on-street local parking rate

Reason: to ensure consistency across out of city centre parking and reflect the role and importance of local shopping areas to York’s economy

g) to remove the proposed charges for dedicated motorcycle bays.

Reason: to recognise that the motorcycle bays are generally in locations where a car space is not possible. The charge is also inconsistent with the on-street charge arrangements. This will be reviewed at a later date.

h) increase the discount for Low Emission vehicle permits to 20%, from the current 16% discount

Reason: to set a discount that better reflects the contribution of all types of vehicles to congestion

i) approve that Contract Parking permits are no longer linked to Season Tickets, and will be set at last year’s prices, plus circa 5% increase, with a 20% discount for low emission vehicles.

Reason: to recognise the unique circumstances of the small number of residents who live within the city walls without access to parking.

j) to undertake a review and develop a policy position around travel to places of worship.

Reason: to ensure consistency of approach and ensure the council is meeting its obligations under the Equalities Act.

k) should Executive approve a change to the amount paid for the low vehicle emission discount, Contract, Season and ResPark permits holders will be refunded the difference.

Reason: so that any change in policy does not adversely affect residents

l) To note that, if approved, the new charges will need to be advertised in accordance with legislation, meaning those charges implemented will be subject to a pending review under the Traffic Management Act 2004 Right to Challenge Parking Policies.

Reason: to ensure compliance with legislative requirements.

m) Accept the challenge to review parking charges under the Traffic Management Act 2004 in respect of Bishopthorpe Road and initiate the review.

Reason: to ensure the council responds to the petitions submitted.

n) To approve that a further report will be brought back to Executive upon the conclusion of the review.

Reason: to set a clear process for carrying out such reviews

o) To approve that the parking income budget is not changed at this time, whilst recognising the impact of the proposed changes could be in the region of £115k.

p) To request that updates on parking usage and income is included in quarterly finance and performance monitoring reports and any variances are considered within the whole council budget.

Reason: to ensure the impact on the parking budget is considered and remedial action is taken if necessary.

31. Annex C shows the Parking Services charges Council approved 2024/25.

Background

32. To reflect the new Local Transport Strategy, Executive made a number of recommendations to Full Council for the budget to change the pricing regime around parking. These can be summarised as follows:

a) To set prices so that a stay of two hours in city centre car parks was more expensive than a family day bus ticket

b) To merge the short stay and general stay city centre car parks into the same pricing structure.

c) To designate Bishopthorpe Road Car Park a City Centre Car Park.

d) To increase the discount for Minster Badge Holders for parking from circa 9% to 30%

e) To reduce the discount for permit parking for low emission vehicles from circa 50% to 20%

f) Aligning Contract Parking with season ticket pricing

g) To remove the Sunday parking charge exemption.

h) To remove the half hour payment option from some locations.

Monitoring the changes

Footfall

33. In April 2024, Parliament Street footfall data showed the city welcomed 563,406 people, and in April 2025 the total footfall was 724,848, an increase of 28.7%. The impact of Easter comparing year on year shows an increase of 38% for Easter week 1, and a 19.2% increase for Easter week 2.

34. Footfall data isn’t available for Bishopthorpe Road, Heworth or Micklegate, as examples of the impact on urban shopping areas.

Retail

35. In April 2025, monthly retail sales in York city centre were £35.5m, with year to date (YTD) sales at £132m. Compared to April 2024, monthly sales increased by +3.7%, while YTD increased by +3.3%.

36. When comparing York to other areas, the monthly sales change between April 2024 and April 2025 in York is +3.7% higher than Chester (+2%) and similar to Bath (+3.9%). This is significantly better than the GB Benchmark.

37. The council commissioned independent data to review retail spend and transactions in the urban retail districts of Heworth, Bishopthorpe Road and Micklegate. Comparing the Jan-April period for 2022-2025, is a mixed picture:

· Customer numbers have increased 1% at Bishopthorpe Road and Micklegate year on year and increased 12% in Heworth.

· Transactions are up 2% in Bishopthorpe Road, down 11% in Micklegate and up 4% in Heworth (which has declined year on year prior to this).

· Sales are stronger in Bishopthorpe Road after two relatively static years (up 9%), Micklegate is seeing good year on year growth (up 2% on last year) with strong sales performance in Heworth (up 12% this year).

38. It is still too early to predict whether this is a trend with further analysis forming part of the review – and different sectors performing differently.

Economy

39. The council has followed a policy of consistently increasing parking charges as part of its Budget setting process annually. This has been by inflation in some years, and by greater amounts in others. Last year saw a reduction in the number of parking transactions and an increase in parking income (table below).

	Transactions		Income
	No		£
2022-23	1,537,401		7,994,799
2023-24	1,490,273	-3.07%	8,659,294	8.31%
2024-25	1,418,322	-4.83%	9,131,109	5.45%

40. This year’s changes to parking charges may follow a similar trend, however, it is too early to know how the more significant charge increases will affect parking behaviour, which will be monitored at 3, 6 and 9 months.

41. Footfall has not been impacted by a fall in parking transactions, indicating people are finding alternative ways to visit York. And data provided through York BID above, shows spend held up well compared to last year.

Carpark use

42. There has only been limited data from the new charges being implemented however it has been possible to do some analysis of the first 4 weeks of the charge being implemented compared to the same 4 week period last year. Overall there has been a 13% reduction in overall transactions (104k to 91k) with an increase in income of 24% (£641k to £795k)

43. The table below gives early indication of the impact of the charges

	Change in Parking Behaviour			%'s
	Trans	£	Avg £/Trans	Trans	£
Castle	-1,865	16,569	1.64	-10%	13%
Marygate	14	32,586	2.93	0%	34%
Monk Bar	336	17,559	1.53	3%	27%
Nunnery Lane	-374	15,330	2.87	-6%	31%
St George's	69	13,684	1.92	1%	28%
Union Terrace	-1,126	5,555	1.92	-14%	11%
Coppergate	-910	12,869	2.81	-12%	22%
Bootham Row	-173	7,182	1.56	-3%	23%
Foss Bank	-639	17,682	3.60	-10%	47%
Esplanade	-706	-2,179	2.31	-34%	-14%
Bishopthorpe Road	-1,907	6,881	3.02	-37%	94%
East Parade	-138	415	2.26	-36%	105%
Coach Park	140	2,488	0.85	26%	34%
Rowntree Park	-140	2,232	2.40	-12%	88%
On Street	-5,856	5,353	3.10	-44%	13%

	-13,275	154,205	2.60	-13%	24%

44. The data shows that demand for parking has reduced which was to be expected as price elasticity would suggest. There do appear however to be larger decreases in those areas where prices were lower before eg Bishopthorpe Road and East Parade and across on-street parking locations.

Bus passengers

45. In 2023/24 York was 8th Local Authority in England for bus journeys per head of population with 70.6. Local bus journeys are rising with13.2m (2022/23) and 14.6m (2023/24)[1]. There is no data available for this year.

Investing in Bus Services

46. The council has invested over £50m in both capital and revenue funding to improve how public bus services operate in the city, making them a more attractive transport options for residents and visitors.

47. The council was awarded £17.4m in April 2022 and received further £1.1m funding after that. This covered 2022/23 to 2024/25 and has been extended into 2025/26 This delivers revenue service support and fares initiatives and capital infrastructure improvements. We also allocated c£800k of council revenue funding to support services.

48. Bus Service Improvement Plan funding has supported over a million £1 fares for children and young people and the physical improvement of bus stops. Examples of other bus service improvement includes:

· £1.7m on upgrading bus stops and installing new real time information screens, with a further £650k agreed with the Mayoral Combined Authority for 2025/26.

· The City Centre Corridor has a budget of £2m from the Bus Services Improvement Plan plus £200k Combined Authority funding for 2025/26.

· The Investment in the Park and Ride site upgrades is £4m from the Bus Services Improvement Plan plus £250k Combined Authority funding for 2025/26.

· Starting delivery of Park and Ride service upgrades of £460,000 this summer.

· The tendered Park and Ride service budget is c£750k, this is enhanced with a further £970k from the Combined Authority for 2025/26.

· The station bus loop is being delivered for £3.5m.

49. The £54.5m Station Gateway capital scheme, currently underway, will transform the area around the railway station into a modern, up to date bus service interchange, proving greater flexibility in how bus services operate.

50. The council is also developing a Sustainable Transport Corridor between the railway station and Clifford’s Tower that will prioritise bus services and improve their reliability. Along with an increasingly clean, modern electric bus fleet, taken collectively these are significant steps being taken to improve bus services as a transport alternative to the car.

51. Bus patronage has been steadily increasing and the recommendations above are expected to stimulate greater use of bus services.

Listening to feedback

52. The Council has been listening to concerns from businesses and residents to the changes.

53. Therefore, having listened to residents and businesses Executive are being asked to consider making changes.

Petitions and Right to Review Parking Policy

54. A Petition, (see Annex A) has been received about the change in parking prices notably at Bishopthorpe Road. The Bishopthorpe Road Traders have written to the Executive Member referencing an 8000-signature petition.

55. Bishopthorpe Road Traders have also requested a review of parking prices under the Traffic Management Act 2004 and in accordance with the Network Management Duty Guidance (2022) specifically the section relating to the Right to Challenge Parking Policy. The Statutory Guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7514cc40f0b6397f35d851/150305_-_Guidance_on_Parking_Reviews_FINAL.pdf.

56. A second Petition (see Annex B) has also been received about the change in parking prices at East Parade raising concern about the price rise from £1.10 to £3.00. The reference to the ‘paybyphone’ price is a programming error please see paragraph 48. The petition has had personal information, including signatures and postcodes redacted. There were over 375 signatories.

57. Key elements are:

The Traffic Management Act 2004 imposes an explicit duty on local authorities to manage their network so as to reduce congestion and disruption, and provides additional powers to do with parking. As a part of this Network Management Duty, local authorities need to develop parking strategies (covering on- and off-street parking) that are linked to local objectives and circumstances. Strategies need to take account of planning policies and transport powers as well as consider the needs of all road users in the area, the appropriate scale and type of provision, the balance between short and long term provision and the level of charges.

However, parking strategies cannot simply be about restricting parking. They need to meet the best interests of road users, communities and businesses. Inappropriate parking rules, over-zealous enforcement and high parking charges drive people out of town centres, push up the cost of living, harm local shops and make it harder for people to park responsibly and go about their everyday lives.

58. A letter calling for a review under the Right to challenge parking policies Traffic Management Act 2004 has been received in relation to Bishopthorpe Road with the petition received for Bishopthorpe Road expressed in support of the request.

59. This report also covers the concerns expressed in relation to parking charges received by letter; the letter has been acknowledged and the authors of those letters have been alerted to this Executive meeting which is the first stage in considering the review under Traffic Management Act (TMA),

60. Executive can make possible both short- and long-term resolutions to the issue.

61. Should Executive agree the Council will carry out the requested review under the Traffic Management Act. The review will consider the contents of the letter(s)/petition(s) and will follow the principles for reviews set out in statutory guidance which includes a consultation phase. It is confirmed that no further petition will be required under the Traffic Management Act process for the Bishopthorpe Road Car Park.

62. The correspondents and lead petitioner will be contacted by mid-June to explain the review process which the Council will be following.

63. In light of the contents of the letter(s)/petition(s), the Council will determine the scope of the review, and how long it will take to undertake.

64. The Council will then publish details of the letter(s)/petition(s) and the scheduled review.

65. The review will then be conducted, with full public consultation, through the website, public meetings, and drop-in sessions, together with direct contact with the BID, Traders Associations, local businesses, and Community Interest Groups.

66. Upon the conclusion of the review a further report will be brought back to Executive. Given that the letter(s)/petition(s) call for the same outcome.

67. However, in the interim, Executive may make changes to the current pricing regime.

Options Analysis and Evidential Basis

Options for changes to pricing regime in advance of the review

68. To respond to the feedback so far Executive are asked to consider the following options:

a) To reconsider the decision at Full Council to make Bishopthorpe Road Car Park a city centre car park. It could be changed back to a Local Car Park and match East Parade Car Park in terms of pricing and a three-hour limit and no evening charges.

b) To increase the current Minster Badge discount from 24% to 30%.

c) Previously the Low Emission Discount was 50% ie half the previous standard charge. Members chose to reduce the percentage discount to 16%, this discount could be increased to 20%.

d) Contract Parking is aimed at residents of the city centre without parking and allows them access to a car park, this was historically less than season tickets for car parks which are available to anyone. The Budget decision was to, make the charge the same for contract parking as season tickets. This has significantly impacted on the relatively few people with contract parking. Contract Parking could be reduced to last year’s price plus 5%.

e) The Executive Member for Transport has made a decision to pause the implementation of Sunday Parking charges in some areas of the city. The recommendation is that a policy position is developed in relation to this and until this is complete, no further implementation is made.

f) The half hour payment option could be reinstated at non city centre car parks ie East Parade and Rowntree Park and Bishopthorpe Road Car Park but that would encourage short trips to be made by car, contributing to congestion, and makes the bus a less attractive option.

Refunds

69. The proposed changes raise the issue of refunds.

70. We are aware of a small number of people where the app has charged the wrong amount. This was due to an error in the app, and refunds are being made automatically to those affected and they do not need to contact the Council.

71. No paid-for parking sessions paid at a higher price will be refunded as it was the charge Council approved through the Budget and was advertised.

72. If Executive choose to change the discount for Minster Badge holders for parking charges, then that discount changes for everyone from the point the change becomes effective. No refunds are due as the discount applied to the charge applicable on the day was the correct amount at that time.

73. If a decision is made to change the Low Vehicle Emission discount, then refunds should be made. The payment is for a year, so depending on when renewal was made the individual may have been adversely affected by the in-year change in the price. The same principle would apply to monthly (resident contract, season tickets) and quarterly (ResPark) price changes being refunded.

74. People who have purchased a contract parking at the higher price will now need to be refunded the difference. The payment is on a monthly or annual basis, so depending on when the renewal was made, they may have been adversely affected by the in-year change in price.

Analysis

75. The Equalities Impact Assessment undertaken for the budget has been reviewed and is attached at Annex D and the impacts are considered in the implications section.

76. A preliminary economic assessment has been undertaken. The Council is collating data to be considered as part of the Review of Parking Policies under the Traffic Management Act.

77. Research has demonstrated that interventions which reduce car use and increase sustainable travel options result in multiple positive benefits for high streets, with substantive evidence for increased footfall and increased spend per person in businesses.

https://www.climatexchange.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/cxc-the-environmental-social-and-economic-benefits-of-sustainable-travel-to-local-high-streets-and-town-centres-may-2023.pdf

78. The parking charges approved as part of the budget setting process were informed by the evidence base around parking policies and reducing car use. Studies have examined the link between the price of car parking and demand, and there is general agreement that short term parking price elasticity is around -0.3, meaning that a 10% rise in parking price will lead to a 3% fall in demand (https://www.climatexchange.org.uk/publications/reducing-car-use-through-parking-policies-an-evidence-review/ and Marsden, G.R. (2006) The evidence base for parking policies - a review. Transport Policy, 13 (6). pp. 447-457. ISSN 0967-070X ).

79. Parking data from the previous year for car parks in York demonstrate this level of parking price elasticity, with an approximately 12% rise in prices resulting in around 5% fewer transactions but 5% more income. Meanwhile, city centre footfall figures saw a near 8% increase, suggesting that at least some people had switched to other modes of transport.

80. Every city will respond differently to increases in parking charges and there is always uncertainty in the level of short-term parking price elasticity. However, some cities have experimented with significant increases in parking charge.

81. In 2019 the city of Amsterdam increased the hourly price of on-street parking by an average of 66%, whilst at the same time removing 0.6% of parking spaces. Overall parking demand fell by around 14% and traffic volumes in the city fell by 2 to 3% (Ostermeijer, F., Koster, H., Nunes, L. and van Ommeren, J., 2022. Citywide parking policy and traffic: Evidence from Amsterdam. Journal of Urban Economics, 128, p.103418).

82. Spatial distribution of parking price is also important. A wide variety of pricing can lead to drivers searching for cheaper spaces, adding to miles driven and traffic congestion. A review of 16 studies in 11 international cities cites that on average 30% of traffic is looking for a parking space, with an average search time being 8.1 minutes (Marsden, G.R. (2006) The evidence base for parking policies - a review. Transport Policy, 13 (6). pp. 447-457. ISSN 0967-070X).

Organisational Impact and Implications

· Financial: The proposals in the report are providing a number of additional discounts to that made in the original proposals made in the budget report. These have been assessed as the following

o Increase Minster Badge Discounts £45k

o Change to Bishopthorpe Road pricing £30k

o Introduce outer city rate for Respark Zones £10k

o Change to Micklegate / Priory Street on-street pricing £20k

o Remove dedicated bays for motorcycle parking £0k

o Increase Low emission vehicle discounts £10k

o Reintroduce a charge for Contract Parking £0k

Change to on-street parking charges outside the inner ring road £0k. Where values are £0k it is assumed to be a negligible impact in terms of income collected.

Anticipated parking revenue:

Off Street £9,481k

On Street £ 683k

Season Ticket £ 548k

Total £10,712k

Overall, it is assessed that the reduced income from implementing these changes could be in the region of £115k but the actual value will be dependent on the impact in behaviour that occurs following any price changes. The assessed impact of the changes represents approximately 1% of the total parking budget.

It is too early to ascertain the impact of the new prices introduced in April 2025 on overall transactions and income levels and it will not be possible to isolate the proposed changes in this report away from the impact on the more significant changes agreed in the budget. It is therefore proposed that regular updates on Parking usage and income are provided in the quarterly Executive Finance and Performance Monitoring reports. Members can then consider parking income alongside the wider council budget and approve any mitigating actions where necessary.

· Human Resources (HR): There are no HR Implications with the recommendations. Council pool cars will continue to use council car parks as usual.

· Legal: There are no proposed changes to the substantive Off Street and On Street parking orders. The Council has the power to vary charges for off-street and on-street parking under S35 and 46A of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. In accordance with the Local Authorities' Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996 the Council is required to publish a notice of variation setting out the changes in a local newspaper for 21 days. The notice of variation is also required to be placed in prominent positions in the carparks and may be placed along roads in which the parking places are situated until the new charges come into force.

· Procurement: No procurement implications

· Health and Wellbeing Reducing the number of fossil fuelled cars on York roads would reduce congestion and as a result have a positive impact on reducing air pollution and improving health and wellbeing. However, given the relatively small numbers, it is unlikely to have a detrimental impact.

· Environment and Climate Action: We know that we have to reduce driven miles and this is a council ambition. Parking charges are a way of impacting on driven miles.

· Affordability: Although the objective of the changes was to encourage greater use of public transport and sustainable modes of transport, the original increases in parking charges may have had a negative impact on those low-income groups who own a car. These residents may be impacted in their ability to access shops, services, parks, etc by car and may not be able to use alternative modes of transport. The proposals in this report will make parking more affordable, and impact positively on local businesses outside the inner ring road in particular.

· Equalities and Human Rights: Negative impacts have been identified in the updated Equalities Impact Assessment contained within Annex D, with mitigations are identified within it.

· Data Protection and Privacy: Data Protection and Privacy: The data protection impact assessment (DPIAs) screening questions were completed for the recommendations and options in this report and as there is no personal, special categories or criminal offence data being processed to set these out, there is no requirement to complete a DPIA for these. However, the ongoing DPIA for these services will be reviewed following the approved recommendations and options from this report if required.

· Communications: Changes to parking have resulted in a number of media queries. The communications team will work closely with transport colleagues to share information around any changes. More broadly the team continues to work on communications around the delivery of the Local Transport Strategy, for example promoting the benefits of improvements to bus services.

· Economy: Further economic data will be needed to consider the impacts over a longer period of time. (commitment to review at 3,6 and 9 months etc).

Risks and Mitigations

A further change to parking charges risks confusion, therefore it is proposed that the price for 2024/25 is advertised to include the price determined by full council for 2025/26 and any new prices agreed by the Executive at this meeting.

Wards Impacted All

Contact details For further information please contact the authors

Authors

Name:	James Gilchrist
Job Title:	Director of Highways, Transport and Environment
Service Area:	Highways, Transport and Environment
Telephone:	-
Report approved:	Yes
Date:	28/05/2025
Name:	Claire Foale
Job Title:	Chief Strategy Officer
Service Area:	City Development
Telephone:	-
Report approved:	Yes
Date:	28/05/2025