People charged too much for using a York car park due to a council error are set to receive a refund.
The new standard York parking rate of £4.85 for the first two hours was applied at Heworth’s East Parade despite a lower charge of up to £3-an-hour being agreed.
Cllr Kate Ravilious, transport spokesperson for the ruling Labour group on York Council, said a small number of errors in implementing charges were being remedied but correct procedures were followed.
Liberal Democrat opposition leader Cllr Nigel Ayre said it would be little comfort to those who had already been overcharged and the errors called Labour’s competency into question.
It comes as a council spokesperson said they were sorry for the error which emerged after fees and charges for this financial year came into effect in April.
The new rates were approved in February as part of the council’s Budget proposals for 2025-6.
Tariffs of £3-an-hour for up to three hours on week days and of £2.30-an-hour were approved for East Parade and Rowntree Park car park.
Charges for the rest of the city’s car parks are also subject to a premium on Fridays, Saturdays and during events of £5.30 for the first two hours.
Discounts are available for Minster Badge holders and the charges taper off after the first two hours to £18.60 for up to five hours and £21.50 when premium rates apply.
The application of standard rates to East Parade is thought to have affected almost 40 people, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands.
The council’s spokesperson said a very small proportion of car parking payments made through its app had been affected.
The spokesperson said: “A large number of changes had to be implemented to parking prices across the city.
“Since these new prices came into force a small number of errors have subsequently been identified.
“While the majority of app payments were charged the correct cost, as soon as we became aware of the issue we worked with our contractor to resolve it.
“We are in the process of issuing refunds automatically to anyone who overpaid.”
But opposition leader Cllr Ayre said the issue mirrored the previous Labour administration’s handling of the Lendal Bridge closure.
It saw around £1m returned to motorists who were wrongly fined between August 2013 and April 2014 after an adjudicator ruled the council had no power to issue them.
The Liberal Democrat leader said: “This is history repeating itself, Labour’s arrogance is costing residents and damaging trust in local government.
“This car park is in council leader Cllr Claire Douglas’ own ward, what hope is there for the rest of the city when she is seemingly incapable of doing the right thing for her own residents?
“The Council must now set out exactly how it will process refunds and ensure that safeguards are put in place to prevent this kind of mismanagement from happening again.”
Labour transport executive member Cllr Ravilious said all the changes had been made legally and properly and Liberal Democrat alternatives proposed in February would have kept most of them.
The executive member said: “These charges were implemented in April following the correct legislative procedures.
“Council officers have identified some small errors in implementation and have now corrected, or are in the process of correcting them.”
It comes amid a wider backlash against new parking charges in parts of York since their introduction last month.
Traders and churchgoers in Micklegate have objected to the removal of half-hourly rates of 60p and free parking on Sundays until 1pm.
Charge hikes at Bishopthorpe Road car park from 80p an hour, an increase of more than 500 per cent, has prompted a petition opposing them signed by 7,856 people.
Cllr Ravilious said she would speak to those affected in April about the impact of the charges which would be reviewed in the coming months.
LDRS understands talks between officials and traders remain ongoing.