Subscribe to trusted local news
If you are accessing this story via Facebook but you are a subscriber then you will be unable to access the story. Facebook wants you to stay and read in the app and your login details are not shared with Facebook. If you experience problems with accessing the news but have subscribed, please contact subscriptions@thestrayferret.co.uk. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
01
Apr
Time to ‘be honest’ about Harrogate park and ride, says Tory councillor
A park and ride scheme would only work in Harrogate if town centre parking fees increased, a councillor said last night (March 30).
Harrogate Town Council has included a park and ride on a list of transport requests to David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.
It has also called for “sufficient and affordable in-town and on-street parking” as well free town centre parking between 9am and 10am.
Cllr Michael Harrison, a Conservative who represents Saltergate, said there was a contradiction in the requests. He said:
The only way park and ride will work is increased town centre parking charges or restrictions. If you don’t make it hard or expensive to bring your car into town then people won’t use the park and ride. We have to be honest about that.
In places like York and Leeds, which operate park and rides, the cost of city centre parking is higher than it is in Harrogate.
The town council has also called for action to tackle congestion, which it described as a ‘very significant concern’.
Cllr Harrison said this raised another contradiction:
“You can’t have it both ways. You can’t complain about the congestion and then demand that people drive into town and park outside the shop they want for free. It just doesn’t stack up.”
‘Two separate issues’
Several Liberal Democrats disagreed with Cllr Harrison's park and ride comments and voted in favour of submitting their requests to the mayor.
Cllr Chris Aldred, the Liberal Democrat mayor, said creating a park and ride “would take ages” and it was reasonable to make the other requests in the meantime.
A Harrogate park and ride has been discussed for at least 20 years with no sign of progress.
Cllr Josy Thompson (Lib Dem, Duchy), said:
People who are going to use park and ride are going to be coming in for a day. The idea of the 9am to 10am is for local people to be able to come into town and access our stores and I do think the two ideas are compatible.
Cllr Josie Caven (Lib Dem, Kingsley) said reducing parking would affect disabled people. “We can’t take away town centre parking at all.”
Cllr Viv Poskitt (Lib Dem, St George’s), who is a doctor, added: “Some people come into town to get healthcare and I don’t think they should have to pay to go and see a doctor.”
Mr Skaith is developing a local transport plan that will set out a long term vision for improving transport across the region.
Consultation on the plan ended last night and the town council agreed to adopt its proposed submission.
It calls for the creation of multiple smaller park and ride sites directly connected to existing bus routes, rather than one large facility.
The town council’s submission says:
“Such schemes should only proceed after robust feasibility studies, and only where linked to genuine demand and, if appropriate, increas ed town centre parking charges or restriction.”
0