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05
Apr 2022
Harrogate park and ride 'still possible' despite £116m funding failure
The councillor in charge of highways for North Yorkshire has said a park and ride pilot scheme for Harrogate remains possible despite a £116million funding bid rejection.
The Department for Transport yesterday awarded North Yorkshire County Council none of the £116million it bid for from the government's Bus Back Better scheme. Much of the funding was earmarked to reduce congestion in Harrogate.
Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, said he was "very disappointed" with the rejection but parts of the county’s Bus Service Improvement Plan could still go ahead without government support.
Cllr Mackenzie said this included the park and ride, which is likely to operate from Pannal, although questions remained about how a permanent service would be funded.
Cllr Mackenzie also said the on-demand bus service, YorBus, which is being trialled in Ripon, Bedale and Masham could be expanded.
He added:
Read more:
- Harrogate bus plans in tatters after government rejects £116m funding bid
- Council could sell Harrogate district grass verge cuttings
The Bus Service Improvement Plan included £23 million for new bus lanes, £74 million for other infrastructure changes and £14 million for support for bus services.
'Plans didn't lack ambition'
The government claimed areas that failed to get the cash had not shown “sufficient ambition”. In total, just 34 of 79 areas which applied were successful.
In Yorkshire, this included the West Yorkshire Combined Authority which submitted a bid for £168 million, but was given £70 million, while City of York Council wanted £48 million and got £17.4 million.
Cllr Mackenzie said he believed the plans for North Yorkshire were ambitious enough to win funding and that he was now keen to speak to government officials to understand their decision. He said:
The county council and Harrogate Bus Company have been successful in a separate bid for £7.8 million to make the firm’s fleet all-electric with the delivery of 39 zero-emission buses.
The project will cost almost £20 million in total, with more than £12 million being invested by Transdev – the parent firm of Harrogate Bus Company.
It will see 20 single-decker and 19 double-decker buses bought over the next three years, as well as the supporting charging infrastructure.
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