New parking permit restrictions introduced in Leeds causing 'havoc' for Hyde Park community

‘Permit holder only’ signs appeared on residential streets across the Hyde Park area in August, including on Burley Lodge Road and Carberry Road, and double yellow lines were also placed on Alexandra Road.

Leeds City Council has said that they were introduced following requests over the last five years as a result of “indiscriminate and obstructive long-stay (non residential) parking”.

Chiragi Solanki, a committee member for 18 years at the Leeds Hindi Temple on Alexandra Road, said that the new restrictions had been a “nightmare” and had been introduced at “such a wrong time”.

She said that this is because it coincided with some of the biggest events in the Hindu calendar, including Diwali in October, when approximately 3,000 visited to join the festivities.

She said: “It was a nightmare. We couldn’t open our own carpark because that was for our fireworks.

“Before that we had a hundred every night. But now it’s really bad for us to have any events or festivals in the temple. It’s made it really hard for people to visit.

“There’s only one Hindu temple in Leeds so it brings lots of traffic.”

She added: “After the restrictions the traffic became worse. Previously people used to park in the street and now they have to go on a main road or drive far away and walk.”

Asked if she and others in the area were aware that the measures were being introduced she said: “No we didn’t. Not at all.”

Ali Mahmood, who manages the Halal butchers across the road from the temple, also said that they “weren’t told” that the restrictions were coming in and that they have had a clear impact on business.

Mr Mahmood said: “I’m totally against it. I rang up the local councillor and complained to him. It was out of the blue.

“We are all complaining that it is affecting business around here.”

He added that residents had also been unhappy with the introduction of the new restrictions, saying: “They say they get friends and family coming who they have to pay to get a permit for.

“Everyone is saying it’s a money making scheme for the council.”

He said that people who walk to the city centre continue to use the residential roads to park on and that he has not yet seen wardens placing tickets on cars.

Mr Mahmood highlighted that the two mosques in the nearby vicinity had also raised concerns, with The Grand Mosque writing on its social media page to say that it had wrote to the local councillors to “request urgent changes”.

“On special days it’s causing havoc”, he said. “Everyone just gets stuck. It’s a complete standstill.”

A member of staff at a local community centre also said that they had been against the introduction of the restrictions

A Leeds City Council spokesperson said: “The new parking restriction scheme around the Hyde Park and university area was implemented in August 2025. This was in response to requests from elected members, local residents and businesses in the area over the past 5 years.

“The initiative aims to tackle the issue of indiscriminate and obstructive long-stay (non-residential) parking, which has been a persistent concern for the community.

“One of the key challenges identified was the difficulty refuse vehicles faced in accessing narrow residential streets, often resulting in bins being left at the ends of roads. This not only created further access issues but also contributed to an unsightly streetscape.

“Following a period of legal advertisement and public consultation, the decision was made to proceed with the implementation of parking restrictions within the Little London & Woodhouse Ward. Signage was installed in August 2025 to mark the start of the scheme.

“This scheme represents a significant step forward in improving road safety, accessibility, and the overall environment for residents and service providers in the area.”