In April 2025, new pricing for car parking was introduced after being approved at Budget Full Council.
Changes to those new car parking charges have since been agreed at a council meeting in June 2025.
The agreed changes are in effect from 17 July 2025.
- Changes to parking charges
- New car parking area charges
- Introduction of new parking charges
- Parking permit charge refunds
Changes to parking charges
At a Council Executive Meeting on Tuesday 3 June the Executive agreed to a range of changes to car parking charges.
This was in response to feedback from residents and businesses most affected by the changes made in April 2025.
These changes include:
- approving an increase in the discount for the Minster Badge permit to 30% of the standard parking charge, from the current 24%, to reduce the impact of increased parking charges on residents
- maintaining existing charges at all city centre car parks
- introducing a 'community car parks' lower parking rate, including at Bishopthorpe Road car park, with charges at Bishopthorpe Road moving in line with charges approved for community car parks at East Parade car park and Rowntree Park car park in the council’s 2025 to 2026 Budget
- this means that Bishopthorpe Road car park will have a charge of £3.00 per hour (£2.10 per hour for Minster Badge holders), with a maximum stay of 3 hours
- it will also mean no higher rates for Friday, Saturday or event parking, and no evening charge in these car parks
- adjusting charges in the Micklegate and Priory Street on-street parking areas
- this will be reviewed in the future; city centre evening parking rates for this area will still apply
- approving that East Parade car park should remain matched to the community car parks parking rates, to ensure consistency across out of city centre parking and reflect the different nature of local shopping areas outside of the immediate city centre
- removing the proposed charges for dedicated motorcycle bays, to recognise that the motorcycle bays are generally in locations where a car space is not possible
- increase the discount for Low Emission vehicle permits to 20%, from the current 16% discount, to set a discount that better reflects the contribution of all types of vehicles to congestion and takes in account the land-use impact of vehicle parking
- approve that resident contract parking permits are no longer linked to season tickets, and will be set at 2024 to 2025 prices, plus an approximate 5% increase, with a 20% discount for low emission vehicles to recognise the unique circumstances of the small number of residents who live within the city walls without access to resident parking schemes
- to undertake a review and develop a policy position around travel to places of worship
- to accept the challenge to review parking charges under the Traffic Management Act 2004, this will include consultation with businesses and residents and community groups
New car parking area charges
Charges vary depending on the location and type of car parks and on-street parking areas, which include:
- 'central car parks' - in or close to the city centre
- 'other car parks'
- 'community car parks'
Different car-parking charges apply depending on which of these categories a parking area is in, with lower rates at the community car parks and at on-street parking outside the inner ring road.
The different rates are applicable for standard charges, for Minster Badge holders, at evenings and at weekends.
The car parks within these categories are as follows.
Central car parks:
Other car parks:
- Foss Bank car park
- Marygate car park
- Monk Bar car park
- Nunnery Lane car park
- St George's Field car park
- Union Terrace car park
Community car parks:
Introduction of new parking charges
Following the decision made by the Council Executive on 3 June 2025, the revised car parking charges had to be advertised for a statutory 21-day notice period before they could be introduced, in accordance with legislation.
The charges came into effect on 17 July and details of current charges are available on our website:
Over the summer and autumn we'll conduct a review of pricing at Bishopthorpe Road car park, following a challenge under the Traffic Management Act 2004. This will include engagement with communities. We'll promote how you can get involved in the car-parking charges review on our website at the appropriate time.
We'll also continue to monitor the impact of the charges across the city every 3 months. This will include monitoring parking data and economic analysis of city centre, urban and residential areas, to understand the impact of these changes.
You can view York Urban Shopping District Spend Data 2022 to 2025 on York Open Data.
Parking permit charge refunds
Following Executive approval of a change to the charges for the low vehicle emission discount, holders of discounted resident contract parking permits, season tickets and Residents Priority Parking Scheme permits will be refunded the difference.
Refunds will apply to permits issued between April 2025 and 17 July 2025.
We intend to automatically apply these refunds, so permit holders don’t need to get in touch with us.
We'll share details of how refunds will be issued on our website at the appropriate time.