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Apr 2021
Harrogate smart parking scheme set for extension after trial success
Harrogate’s smart parking scheme looks set to be extended until at least 2023 after positive results from a two-year trail.
AppyParking – which uses sensors to give app users a real-time map of available spaces – was said to be the first of its kind in any UK town when it was launched in 2019.
The app allows motorists to pay for the exact minutes they are parked and now looks set for an extension. Council figures showed there is strong support for it to be made a permanent solution with 93% of users saying they found it easier than pay and display.
This is according to a report to a North Yorkshire County Council meeting on Friday which also says there has been a boost to the economy with some users spending up to 50 minutes longer in the town.
Jon Savage, project manager at the ncounty council, said in the report that given its success there is a recommendation for AppyParking to be extended between two to four years in Harrogate and that it could also be introduced in other North Yorkshire towns.
He said:
There are more than 2,200 sensors with a lifespan of 10 years installed at on-street and off-street parking bays in Harrogate but it is only proposed to extend the scheme for an initial two-year period because of plans to end North Yorkshire’s two-tier councils.
By 2023, the county council and seven district councils could be abolished under government proposals to hand over control of all services including parking to a new unitary structure.
Mr Savage said the planned changes have caused “uncertainty” over the future of how parking will be managed and that a review of AppyParking would be needed at a later date.
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At Friday’s meeting, councillors will be asked to support the proposed extension before Harrogate Borough Council will look to appoint a new contractor to run the system at an estimated annual cost of around £18,000.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, the county council’s executive member for access, said he hoped councillors would support the scheme which he described as a “great success”.
He said:
Cllr Mackenzie, who represents the Harrogate Saltergate division, also said the scheme had shown parking remained a priority for the council as it pushes ahead with other plans to support cycling and walking.
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