I am a resident of Horsforth, and like many others in our community, I find it unacceptable that Leeds City Council is planning to impose parking charges on local people using Fink Hill Carpark as part of their plan to fill part of their £65 million budget deficit. 

Fink Hill Carpark has been a free facility for years and its accessibility has been crucial for local families and those visiting Hall Park alike.

The imposition of parking charges will undoubtedly affect footfall in the area which could lead to reduced business for local shops and services as well as effectively charging local people to visit the park.

This petition already has the support of two Horsforth Town Council Hall Park Town Councillors, Richard Hardcastle and Tracy Stones.

Both Tracy and Richard have stated:

"If parking charges are introduced at Fink Hill car park, there will need to be strict parking restrictions on Hall Lane and surrounding roads, or the whole of West End will become like a commuter car park!"

I understand that city councils across the country are facing financial pressures but burdening residents with additional costs is not a sustainable solution.

Therefore, I urge Leeds City Council to reconsider this decision and explore other avenues of revenue generation that do not directly impact residents' pockets.

Please sign this petition if you believe in maintaining free access to Fink Hill Carpark – let's show Leeds City Council that we value our community spaces! 

Update: On 21st February 2024 the lead administration at Leeds City Council voted through their damaging plans to impose a parking charge at Fink Hill!, despite 3 different opposition groups providing 3 costed amendments that would have seen the Council able to remove the parking charges from the budget, whilst maintaining a balanced budget.

They chose to ignore these amendments, and they also voted through their plans before the results of the public consultation were published.

All is not lost: Highways will now be the next to consult before the charges are put in place. Let's keep fighting and spreading the word.