Review of paid-for parking permit schemes welcomed

People trying to get their streets removed from residents' parking zones have welcomed Bradford Council's plan to review the schemes.

On Tuesday, councillors sitting on the executive committee will be asked to approve the Residents' Parking Permit Schemes Policy.

This would introduce a framework for reviewing or removing some of the 650 existing schemes to ensure "clear management of on-street parking", according to the local authority.

In 2024 the cash-strapped council brought in a £35 charge for all permits as part of a series of changes to parking fees, to help raise £2.7m over the next two-and-a-half years.

Councillor Joe Wheatley, who represents Bingley, said many residents had contacted him to say the permits were "unfair", especially on unadopted roads, with many starting petitions to have them removed.

He said: "I think it's great, I think it's long overdue."

"We met with residents over a year ago about these issues and have been liaising with the highways team to bring these petitions forward," Wheatley said.

"We understood that there would be a delay because they needed to find out whether or not they could present a mechanism that would work for the future.

"I'm excited to say that the petitions, there are 14 in total as I understand it, have gone through to Bradford Council - four from Bingley.

"Those will be prioritized as they're looking to remove the status from permit parking streets and the schemes overall."

Residents' Parking Permit Schemes are streets or areas where parking is controlled to help residents and local businesses park their vehicles.

They have been introduced in some areas where vehicles not belonging to residents or associated with local businesses have made it difficult for the people who live there to park.

Linda Wardle lives on Mitchell Street in Bingley, where residents have signed a petition asking to have the permits removed.

She said: "It is an unadopted road. The council does nothing to maintain or repair either the road or the pavement.

"The permit parking was, I believe, introduced when the Bradford and Bingley (building society) had a large office in Bingley.

"There were a lot of workers and they used to come and park in these streets, but for a long time that hasn't existed.

"Permit parking should not be on this street.

"It must be unlawful to introduce anything like that with the state of the road that they're not managing or maintaining."

The new framework would mean all 650 schemes will be reviewed on a rolling cycle.

A review can also be triggered by a number of factors including residents' feedback, a change in local conditions or proposed amendments.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw said: "We are pleased to be bringing this policy forward to ensure that residents can have a say in reviewing the permit scheme if the purposes for introducing it are no longer relevant.

"We know that there have been lots of queries about these schemes.

"It may take some time to start to work through them all, but this new policy will allow us to respond to concerns in the local community and prioritise concerns.

"It will also allow the regular review of residents' parking permit schemes."

Across Bradford there are currently about 14,000 resident and visitor permits issued, which the council said would bring in about £500,000 a year.

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