Leighton Buzzard railway station weekend parking charges cut from £15 to £10
Motorists using Leighton Buzzard railway station can now park for less throughout the weekend following discussions between London Northwestern Railway and councillors.
The new charge means weekend parking at the station now costs £10 instead of £15, with the reduced ticket valid from 10am on Friday until 4am on Monday.
The reduction has been welcomed by Central Bedfordshire councillor Victoria Harvey (Independent, Leighton Linslade West) who says she has been campaigning for cheaper station parking for more than two years.
However, she has warned that more needs to be done to address parking pressures in residential streets around the station and elsewhere in Leighton Buzzard.
A London Northwestern Railway spokesperson said: “We keep parking charges at our stations under regular review. Weekend charges at Leighton Buzzard were reduced on Friday 30 October following productive conversations with local councillors.
“The lower price covers parking from 10am Friday to 4am Monday.”
Councillor Harvey said: “This is great news. I have been lobbying for this for over two years.
“Many residential streets near the station really suffer as people park there to avoid paying the high prices at the station.”
She has called for an area-wide parking strategy for Leighton Buzzard, raising concerns about parking near the station, doctors' surgeries and the town's health hub.
She said residents could struggle to park near their homes or access their driveways because of vehicles parked in residential streets.
Cllr Harvey also called for improvements to bus services, safer cycling routes and cheaper or free town centre parking to reduce pressure on residential streets.
She said: “We need to have a proactive vision for transport in the town that gives people real alternatives to parking in overcrowded streets.”
Central Bedfordshire Council was asked whether it has an existing parking strategy for Leighton Buzzard, what assessment it has made of residential parking pressures and whether additional restrictions or residents' parking schemes are being considered.
The council was also invited to respond to councillor Harvey's call for a wider strategy but had not responded at the time of publication.