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Dec 9, 2025
Bishy Road parking review as traders claim hikes leave customers 'priced out'
The Press, York
A formal review is set to begin into Bishopthorpe Road parking charge hikes brought in earlier this year after traders claimed their customers were being priced out of the area.
York Council has appointed independent consultants Arup to conduct the review, with an online survey set to launch as part of the process.
The Bishopthorpe Road Traders' Association (BRTA) said they were still waiting for substantive work on a review more than seven months after they requested one into the increases, claiming they were unfair.
Council Labour transport spokesperson Cllr Kate Ravilious said officials had been in regular contact with the traders in recent months following initial proposals to hold a broader transport review.
The call comes after charges at the Bishopthorpe Road Car Park were set at £3-an-hour in June, following a backlash against hikes there and across York earlier in the year.
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Fees at Bishopthorpe Road were initially increased from 80p-an-hour to £4.85-an-hour for the first two hours from Sunday to Thursday and £5.30 on Fridays, Saturdays and during events.
Cllr Ravilious said at the time the changes came in response to feedback including from Bishopthorpe Road traders who launched a petition calling for the hikes to be reversed.
The traders also called for a statutory review under the Traffic Management Act 2004's Right to Challenge Parking Policies.
But the BRTA said residents and businesses were still waiting for the opportunity to fully and formally present their objections to the charges through a review.
The association added many long-standing customers of shops on the road had stopped visiting while the council raked in more income from higher parking fees.
Traders said the hikes had come in but no improvements to bus services, cycle parking or other sustainable travel options had been made locally.
Ruth Phillips, co-owner of The Good Food Shop, said they were no closer to a fair and transparent review.
Ms Phillips sai
