New parking charges at Leeds beauty spots have raised £550,000 in six months
New figures show the income from fees at Golden Acre, Otley Chevin, Roundhay, Temple Newsam and Middleton parks since February.
Parking charges introduced at five city parks have raised the council £550,000 in six months.
New figures show the income from fees at Golden Acre, Otley Chevin, Roundhay, Temple Newsam and Middleton parks since February.
Charges of £4 per day were introduced to help Leeds City Council save more than £100m this financial year.
The charges have so far raised £218,000 from parking machines and £236,000 from phone app payments.
A further £96,000 was paid by motorists who bought season tickets to visit the parks.
A council spokesperson said the funds raised were in line with expectations.
They said: “The funds generated are a crucial and sustainable source of income that helps us continue to provide high-quality parks and green spaces for the city.
“We will use future revenue to fund ongoing maintenance and further development of our parks.”
Improvements at Roundhay and Temple Newsam parks had already been funded by the charges, the council said.
The spokesperson said: “Since introducing car parking charges at our parks, it has allowed us to make a number of important improvements.
“We’ve recently submitted a planning application to redevelop the Arthington Road car park at Golden Acre to create a safer more welcoming experience for visitors.”
The figures were released in response to a formal question raised by Sam Firth, Conservative councillor for Harewood.
They show Roundhay raised the most cash for the council, some £155,000 since February this year.
Roundhay already had the highest number of visitors who paid for parking, with 107,000 car park payments in the six month period.
There were 304,825 ticket machine and app transactions at all the five parks, along with 2,171 online and over-the-counter payments for season tickets.
Blue badge holders were exempt from the new charges.