Leeds City Council are looking into proposals which could see businesses in Leeds charged around £2,000 per parking space as part of a Workplace Parking Levy. It is thought that this could raise between £15 million and £25 million per year, although some businesses who could be impacted have said that it would force them to move out of the city.
Any money raised through the Workplace Parking levy would go towards transport improvements in the city, and this could include the planned West Yorkshire tram system which would initially link Leeds and Bradford.
A spokesperson from the council commented to the BBC: “The current level of funding available to us is insufficient to cover our ambitions, and introducing a mechanism such as a workplace parking levy is one funding option which could help generate the revenue needed.”
The levy would see companies with 10 or more parking spaces charged £2,080 per space from 2027. It would be charged within a central zone which includes Kirkstall in the west, Leeds University in the north and Hunslet in the southeast.
Some businesses would receive exemptions (including hospitals, any disabled spaces and workplaces with operational vehicles) but some companies have expressed fears that the cost would be too prohibitive for them. Some have already said they would consider moving out of the city centre to areas without any public transport and thus putting more pressure on the road network.