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11
Feb
Big increase in parking fines in Harrogate district
The number of parking fines in the Harrogate district has increased sharply following a drive to recruit more traffic wardens.
Latest figures reveal the number of penalty charge notices issued rose by 39% from the start of October to the end of December last year compared with the previous three months.
The quarterly number of parking tickets handed out is now at its highest since North Yorkshire Council was founded in 2023.
The council, which generates £25.5 million each year from parking fines, hailed the figures an ‘operational success’ in a report prepared for its ruling Conservative executive.
Motorists are fined £50, reduced to £25 if paid within 14 days, for infringements such as parking on double yellow lines or in a loading bay.
They are fined £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days, for parking without a valid ticket or parking in a disc zone without displaying a permit.
The report attributes the increase in income to three factors: restructuring the service, recruiting more traffic wardens and better management.
The report says:
Recruitment has been critical in supporting the new operational model. To meet both public and council expectations for civil parking enforcement, workforce numbers have increased to 50% of the new model requirements, with a full review scheduled for the end of the 2026/27 financial year. While still in the early stages, initial results indicate positive progress.
The council captures data for Harrogate, Craven, and Selby collectively. The number of fines in these areas went up by 39% from 5,669 to 8,057 between the second and third quarters of the current financial year.
This compares with a 21% increase over the same period for Scarborough, Hambleton, Ryedale, and Richmondshire collectively.
An additional 2,277 penalty charge notices were handed out in Harrogate, Craven and Selby from October to December compared with the previous quarter.
A total of 20,848 parking charge notices were issued across North Yorkshire from October to December.
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