Leeds City Council faces a repair bill running into thousands of pounds after machines to enforce new parking charges at beauty spots were vandalised.
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00:00If you've visited Temple Newsome, Otley Shevin or Golden Acre, Roundhay and Middleton parks recently,
00:07you'll have spotted these pay and display machines, which were introduced in February by Leeds City Council.
00:13They said they were essential to help plug a multi-million pound budget gap and to pay for car park maintenance.
00:20Now though, the authority faces a repair bill running into thousands of pounds
00:24after some of the enforcement machines at the beauty spots have been vandalised.
00:29Leeds City Council said five machines were damaged at parks around the city,
00:33and each could cost up to £3,500 to repair or replace.
00:38The Executive Member for Climate, Energy, Environment and Greenspaces, Councillor Mohamed Rafiq,
00:44told a recent council meeting that police investigations are ongoing.
00:48He said that in the imminent future, the vandalised machines will not be replaced
00:53as it is too likely they will be vandalised again,
00:56adding that the council are considering a range of options at the impacted sites,
01:01ranging from cameras to the permanent removal of the meters.
01:06The council have said drivers can make electronic payments instead of using the machines,
01:11and reflecting on the impact of the charges, they've said it's too early to draw a conclusion
01:16as the charges have only just been in place for a month.
01:20The decision to introduce the charges was said not to be implemented lightly,
01:25and it was as a result of the council facing unprecedented budget challenges,
01:29needing to find over £100 million in savings over the next financial year.
01:35Blue badge holders are exempt from the new payment,
01:38while motorists are charged £1 for two hours, £2.50 for a half day and £4 for a full day.