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09
Mar
Reform UK claims parking changes are ‘damaging’ Harrogate and Knaresborough
Reform UK has claimed North Yorkshire Council’s parking changes are damaging Harrogate and Knaresborough’s economy.
The council U-turned on plans to massively increase tariffs, in some cases more than tripling them, after opposition from outside and inside the controlling Conservatives and Independents group.
But charges will still rise by at least 10% on April 1 as part of wider changes to parking in the county.
Jonathan Swales, Reform UK’s Harrogate & Knaresborough branch chairman, welcomed plans to modernise car parks and introduce a single parking app across North Yorkshire.
But Mr Swales said higher tariffs and other changes raised significant concerns for residents and small businesses.
He said higher parking prices would deter people from using car parks and reduce town centre footfall. He said it would also increase pressure for parking on residential streets where it was currently free to park, such as Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road, and that policymakers needed to recognise the limited viability of public transport as an alternative to cars in rural areas.
Mr Swales also claimed the council had produced no evidence of the value of spending £2 million on new machines and £400,000 on LED lighting in car parks.
He said:
The council’s plan to develop localised town centre parking strategies is welcome — but only if shaped by residents, business owners, disability groups, and local councillors, not just designed centrally in County Hall.
Modernising the system is fine, but fairness means evidence. If the council can’t show the payback, the CO₂ savings or the impact on usage, then higher charges risk hurting residents and damaging our town centre.
Councillor Malcolm Taylor, the Conservative transport chief, declined to respond to Mr Swales’ claims.
Asked separately by the Stray Ferret why the council had rowed back on its plans for large tariff rises, Cllr Taylor said they were only ever proposals by a council officer which had been rejected.
The latest council report on new tariffs from April 1 says:
"This tariff review proposes a 10% uplift to parking charges to cater for inflationary cost increases into 2027 in recognition of the significant investment that the council is making in terms of improvements to car parking facilities. This proposal supports the council's priorities for sustainable transport and financial resilience."
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