One of Kirklees Council’s biggest town centre car parks is set to reduce its Saturday parking charges from June in a move aimed to boost weekend footfall in Huddersfield.
Springwood car park, opposite Huddersfield Leisure Centre, has capacity for 380 vehicles and will introduce lower short-stay rates on Saturdays from the 1st of June 2026.
Under the new pricing, motorists will pay £1.20 for up to one hour, £1.70 for up to 90 minutes and £2.40 for up to 2 hours.
The reduced charges come less than three years after the council dramatically increased parking prices across the district following mounting financial pressures. In 2023, parking charges rose by 60%, with the authority blaming the increase on inflation rates that had not been applied since 2009 after 15 years without major price rises.
At the time, the council warned that parking charges would continue to increase annually every April in line with inflation in an attempt to stabilise its finances following bankruptcy concerns.
Now, council leaders hope that lower Saturday parking prices will encourage more people to make the trip to Huddersfield town centre at weekends.
In a statement, David Shepherd, executive director at Kirklees Council, said the move will “[make] it easier for people to access the town centre at weekends.”
The move forms part of wider efforts to increase visitor numbers and support town centre businesses amid continuing struggles that high streets face across West Yorkshire.
Springwood is one of the largest council-run car parks in Huddersfield town centre and is frequently used by shoppers and leisure centre visitors.
Read more from MediaHud here.