Plans for Sunday parking charges dropped by Wakefield Council
Wakefield Council said proposals to introduce fees at off-street car parks in Wakefield, Castleford and Pontefract was “not what our towns and city centre needs.”
Last updated 31st Jul 2025
A council has confirmed it has scrapped plans to introduce Sunday parking charges.
Wakefield Council said proposals to introduce fees at off-street car parks in Wakefield, Castleford and Pontefract was “not what our towns and city centre needs.”
Last week, the local authority placed notices at 25 off-street car parks across the district affected by the proposed charges.
Sunday parking at off-street car parks across the district is currently free.
Charges are in place at most car parks between 8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.
According to the notices, the authority also intended to introduce a maximum vehicle length of five metres at Tithe Barn Street car park, in Horbury.
The plan also included introducing a loading area at Anglers car park, Wintersett, and introducing bank holiday charges at Newmillerdam car park.
Residents have until noon on August 8 to comment on the plans.
Matthew Morley, the council’s cabinet member for planning and highways, said: “We’re scrapping plans to introduce Sunday parking charges.
“We’re here for residents and businesses and it’s not what our towns and city centre needs.”
In April last year, the council increased car parking charges across the district for the first time in eight years.
The authority said at the time it had been left with “no choice” but to put up fee due to financial challenges.
From April 2, 2024, one-hour charges in most council car parks in Wakefield went up from from 90p to £1.20p.
An hour’s parking rose from 70p to £1 in Pontefract and Castleford, and from 40p to 60p in Normanton, South Elmsall and Ossett.
The one-hour on-street rate was increased from 90p to £1.20p in Wakefield and from 70p to £1 in Pontefract and Castleford.
Parking charges were reintroduced at most council car parks in April 2023.
Previously, two hours’ free parking had been in place at off-street car parks since the start of the pandemic in April 2020.
The lists of car park where the introduction of Sunday charges were proposed include:
Wakefield
The Granary, Rodney Yard,, Borough Road, Garden Street, Carter Street, Tavora Street, Thornhill Street, Unity House, Westgate, Turton Street, Upper Warrengate, Newmillerdam, Waterfont.
Pontefract
Morrisons Supermarket, Stuart Road, Friarwood, Newgate South, Newgate North.
Castleford
Aire Street, Welbeck Street, Wesley Street, Castlefields