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03
Oct 2023
Any vehicle can park in Knaresborough electric vehicle bays, says council
Petrol and diesel cars can currently park in electric vehicle charging bays in Knaresborough's Chapel Street car park, North Yorkshire Council has confirmed.
The Stray Ferret submitted a freedom of information request to the council amid confusion about the status of the 10 bays, which appeared in the town centre car park shortly before Christmas last year.
The bays are frequently empty while non-electric vehicle drivers struggle to park in Chapel Street car park, particularly on Wednesday market days and at weekends.
This has infuriated some traders, who claim it is costing them money, and they have been unable to determine the precise rules surrounding the bays.
A petition this year called for some of the bays to be made available to all vehicles until more electric cars used them.
Traders Steve and Kelly Teggin launching the petition.
We asked the council what consultation it held on having the bays in Chapel Street car park, whether it was legal for non-electric vehicles to park in the bays and how many vehicles had received parking tickets for using the bays.
The council replied it hadn't carried out any consultation and added:
The response also said electric vehicles would not be fined just for parking in the bays "as long as the user has paid the fee to park in the car park".
The council agreed to pay £280,000 to the company Connected Kerb in March 2022 to install electric vehicle charging bays across the county.
It is currently conducting an internal review into off street car parking orders across North Yorkshire, which it said will "enable us to align definitions for electric vehicle charging across the county".
This would enable it to fine petrol and diesel vehicle owners parked in an electric vehicle bays, as well as electric vehicles drivers that use the bays for parking rather than charging.
Read more:
- Knaresborough's first pop-up shop to open tomorrow
- Knaresborough survey calls for phased introduction of electric vehicle chargers
Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire Council, said he supported electric vehicle charging to reduce pollution but "charging point installation has been poorly implemented in Knaresborough due to inadequate engagement and communication with local residents, business, visitors and the town council".
The decision to install slow charging bays in a busy town centre car park has proved particularly contentious.
Cllr Walker was part of the council's Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee that recommended the Conservative-controlled executive conduct a full review of all parking in Knaresborough within the next six months to ensure spaces, pricing and locations are in line with the needs of the town for both residents and visitors.
The committee also recommended the council develop a strategy for EV charging that is supported by residents and introducing a park and ride scheme that links the York Place long stay car park and the town centre.
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