Mark Warr is a Liberal Democrat councillor representing the Pannal ward on Harrogate Town Council.

Park-and-ride has been discussed for many years in Harrogate, and as traffic volumes continue to grow within the town, now is the time to revisit the subject.

Locally, we have seen how the concept of park-and-ride can be effective within larger conurbations, such as Leeds and York. For example, in Leeds it is claimed by West Yorkshire Combined Authority that 2.5 million trips into the city centre were saved between 2014 and 2024.

In Harrogate, the local Liberal Democrats have been calling for a park-and-ride scheme for years, to cut congestion while benefitting our tourism-based economy.

Harrogate’s Lib Dem-led town council recently responded to North Yorkshire Council’s Local Transport Plan Consultation with various proposals and suggestions, including the support of multiple smaller park-and-ride sites linked to existing bus routes.

For a successful town centre, the key must be to offer a flexible infrastructure with options for the differing needs of residents and visitors, ultimately to support local business and the town’s economy.

'One size does not fit all'

When considering the town’s parking amenities, one size does not fit all.

As an example, to encourage short shopping visits into town by local residents, the idea of early-morning, one-hour, on-street free town parking could help ‘kick-start’ the day for retailers. The provision of free disc parking is also a significant benefit to locals and should be protected.

However, short-term free parking is of limited use for weekend or tourist visitors to the town who are likely to need long-stay parking, in which case the existing multi-storey locations are an option.

For the day visitor or town worker, a park-and-ride facility could be very useful, if correctly packaged.

More than one needed

And if park-and-ride is a solution for Harrogate, it is unlikely that a single, large facility would make sense.

As Harrogate does not have a complete ring road, visitors or commuters are unlikely to consider travelling all the way around town to save the final leg of their trip into town.

The answer could be that Harrogate does have a small number of key, direct routes into town, for example the A61 from the North and the South and the A661 from Wetherby, all of which are served by existing bus routes.

A good start on our path to park-and-ride would be the A61, which is already well served by the frequent number 36 bus service. With suitably located car parks essentially at the top and bottom of Harrogate, this bus service could provide the key to unlocking this opportunity. Other locations could be considered too.

Keeping the concept simple and nimble could mean offering smaller car park locations, linked to existing bus services, although these may need to increase as required to accommodate additional seasonal traffic.

New train halts

Let’s also not forget the potential to link to the existing out-of-town train stations, such as Pannal, which could create multimodal hubs. And even more ambitious would be new train halts which, with the correct facilities, could also add to the mix. Although not a park-and-ride facility, Hornbeam Park is an example of a successful, well located station. In 2024/2025 it was the 10th most used station in North Yorkshire, with over 450,000 journeys logged.

As the Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plan are both in their early stages, it is now the perfect time to consider committing to park-and-ride, while the additional sites required for the new services are still available on the edges of town.

It is time to be bold when considering the needs of Harrogate. We must plan ahead for the changes needed if we are to continue to develop as a successful town which is a great place to live in, and a great place to visit.

What do you think? Do you agree that park-and-ride is the answer to Harrogate's congestion problems, or is Cllr Warr mistaken? Have your say and tell us what you think at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.