Hebden Bridge parking: Free parking plea from traders in Calderdale town hit by huge fee hikes

Hebden Royd Business Forum has written to Calderdale Council asking it to bring back several free short-stay parking spaces on Crown Street.

The town has recently seen rises in parking charges come into force, including for bays on Crown Street, as well as Albert Street, Cheetham Street and Carlton Street in Hebden Bridge, where the charges have risen from 20p to £1 for 30 minutes, and from 40p to £2 for one hour.

The forum says since the parking hike came into force, businesses have seen footfall from regulars drop and trade hit.

"Crown Street in particular is home to butchers, florists, bakers, grocers, pharmacists – shops that rely on local people being able to quickly pop in for a few items,” says its letter to the council.

"With the newly-introduced parking charges, many customers are simply choosing not to stop.

"As we’re sure you recall, it was only 18 months ago that Crown Street did have a number of free short-stay spaces.

"Just last year, Hebden Bridge was recognised as one of the best performing towns in Yorkshire for footfall recovery post Covid – but changes like this risk undoing that momentum.

"We know the bigger picture is complex, and that the council needs all the funding sources it can find, but the difference even a handful of free 30-minute parking spaces would make is hard to overstate.”

The price rises now in force in Hebden Bridge are the Monday to Sunday and Bank Holiday 8am to 8pm charges at St Pol car park, from £1 to £2 per hour.

At St George’s Square car park, the Monday and Tuesday 8am to 8pm, and Wednesday 8am to 5pm charges have risen from £1 to £2 per hour.

The Monday to Sunday and Bank Holiday 8am to 8pm rate at Market Place car park, New Road car park and Garden Street car park have gone up from 90p to £1 per hour.

And the Monday to Sunday and Bank Holiday 8am to 8pm rate at Station Road car park are up from 50p to £1 per hour.