Knaresborough traders have started a petition calling for some town centre electric vehicle charging stations to be made available to all cars.

Ten parking bays in Chapel Street Car Park were set aside for electric vehicles at the end of last year.

Most are frequently empty — while there is often a scramble for non-electric vehicle parking spaces, especially on Wednesday market days and Saturdays.

The sight of cars circling for parking spaces while the majority of EV bays are empty has infuriated traders, who claim they are losing business due to customers giving up and going elsewhere.

Empty electric vehicle charging stations in Chapel Street car park.

They also say taxpayers are missing out on income the empty bays are failing to generate.

Hairdresser Kelly Teggin, who launched the petition today, said it aimed to get 500 signatures, which would require North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee to debate the matter.

Ms Teggin said:

“The council has not really been engaging with us and hopefully this petition will change that.

“Many of my clients are older and say they won’t walk from other car parks further away. I estimate it’s costing the town 500 to 1,000 shoppers a week.”

The petition calls for “North Yorkshire Council to enter into urgent dialogue to discuss a phased transition to full electric vehicle provision”.

Ms Teggin said the council had allocated enough EV charging stations in Knaresborough to meet its targets for 2038 and was ignoring the current reality on the ground. She added:

“We agree we need EV parking bays but we don’t need 10 now.”

Fellow Knaresborough businessman Steve Teggin said it wasn’t realistic to expect older people carrying shopping to walk from car parks further out of town.

It is still unclear whether non-EV vehicles parking in EV bays are getting fined.

Ms Teggin said the council had not engaged on the matter and no car park signage explains the situation.

Read more:

• River Nidd testing for E coli to begin at Knaresborough today
• Knaresborough could get country’s first water-powered EV charging station

Cllr Matt Walker, a Liberal Democrat who represents Knaresborough West on North Yorkshire Council, has criticised the council’s approach.

Speaking last month, he said:

“The council needs to make sure these spaces can be used by people if they are not being used by people with electric vehicles.

“If they are sat empty it benefits nobody. Businesses are losing out on customers and the council is losing out on thousands of pounds of revenue.”

The petition can be signed in Sheer Bliss, Nottingham Jewellers, Hirsts Bakery, The School and Dance Shop and Kelly Teggin Hair and Beauty in Knaresborough.

North Yorkshire Council has been approached for comment.

Midday on market day in Knaresborough last Wednesday brought a familiar sight — cars struggling to park.

Town centre parking is rarely easy in Knaresborough but the decision to allocate 10 of the 56 parking spaces in Chapel Street car park to electric vehicle charging bays has incensed some businesses.

While vehicles hovered around the car park for a space to emerge, nine of the 10 EV charging bays were empty. Business owners say it’s costing them trade and are calling for a rethink.

We spoke to several who were all at pains to point out they support better infrastructure for electric vehicles, but claim Harrogate Borough Council went too far, too soon by removing so many bays at once and a rethink is required.

The sole vehicle charging in Chapel Street when the Stray Ferret visited last week was being used by Bev Nelson, who is originally from Harrogate but now lives in Sheffield.

Ms Nelson visits Knaresborough every few weeks for a hairdressing appointment at Kelly Teggin Hair and Beauty on Castlegate and said the chargers were great for her but questioned whether so many bays were required:

Bev Nelson (seated) and Kelly Teggin

Ms Nelson’s car was the only one being charged.

She said:

“We have a public car park near where I live in Sheffield which has two electric chargers. Ten does seem excessive.”

Ms Nelson pays via an app and hooks up a connection cable she keeps in her car. But although the charging process is simple, it isn’t quick: she needs to plug in for four hours just for 25% charge, which raises questions about the suitability of locating the charging bays in short stay town centre car parks.

Ms Nelson says she sympathised with Ms Teggin and other business owners who are feeling the impact.

Ms Teggin says:

“It’s hitting our shops really hard. I’ve got older lady customers who just don’t come to Knaresborough anymore.”

All the businesses we spoke to said some of the 10 EV bays should be made available to all vehicles until demand caught up with supply. Over time. more bays could be allocated EV-only, they said.

Garry Gilmour

Garry Gilmour, director of estate agents Newby James, said:

“There’s never more than three out of 10 spaces taken. I worked in the motor trade for years and electric vehicles are good but I don’t think they have thought this through.”

No multi-storey car parks

Emma Brierley, owner of butchers Huttons, agreed, saying the current allocation had been done to meet targets for 2038. She said:

“They have taken too many spaces too quickly. There’s not the need at the moment for that many.

“We already lose parking spaces on market day because of the market so with this on top we are 30 or 40 spaces down.  We don’t have any multi-storey car parks like Harrogate or a big supermarket car park like Ripon.”

Emma Brierley

Gill Mitchell

Gill Mitchell, owner of shoe shop Stomp, agreed.

“There’s a massive problem with parking in the town centre.

“Kelly has lost appointments which could be costing her £100 each. You can understand her frustration. It’s not as bad here because customers can come whenever they like.

“I can see both sides of the argument but it is a problem because some customers are saying ‘we can’t be bothered to come in because there’s nowhere to park’.”

Some traders said they weren’t sure whether non-EV vehicles parked in EV bays were actually getting parking tickets.

Harrogate Borough Council did not respond to this point when the Stray Ferret asked.

‘It’s been a big issue for some time’

Councillor Phil Ireland, the Conservative Cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability at Harrogate Borough Council lives in Knaresborough.

Last week he attended an event in Harrogate alongside rugby league legend Martin Offiah to mark the roll-out of 100 electric vehicle charging points in the Harrogate district.

Cllr Ireland said he understood and sympathised with the concerns:

“There’s always been this question of parking availability in the town centre. I know it’s been a big issue for some time”

But he added there were plenty of spaces just outside the town centre, such as York Place long-stay, which has 240 bays and is “grossly underused” although he acknowledged it was too far for some people. Knaresborough, he added, had good buses.

“Market day is always a pinch point. It’s popular and we do our best to keep it that way.

“But we’ve got to persuade people to invest in EV.”

Cllr Ireland said “range anxiety” deterred many people from going electric and the availability of chargers would address this.

He suggested groups like Knaresborough & District Chamber and Knaresborough Town Council could work with North Yorkshire Council, which will succeed Harrogate Borough Council at the end of the month, on issues such as running the market, which could lead to improvements.

Knaresborough market is held every Wednesday.

Net-zero by 2038

We put the traders’ concerns to Harrogate Borough Council.

In a statement, a council spokesperson said:

“To help achieve our net zero-carbon economy by 2038, and to support the demand and rapid uptake of electric vehicles following the end of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, we are installing almost 100 charging bays across the Harrogate district.

“In response to our ultra-low emission  vehicle strategy consultation, we received significant support for the creation of a public charging network. And thanks to a grant from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles we have been able to help meet this demand.

“More than 20 chargers will be installed in Knaresborough, including Chapel Street car park which is already being used by both residents and visitors alike.

“These bays, which are for EV charging only, account for less than three per cent of the more than 800 spaces available in Knaresborough, so we are confident that non-EV drivers will still be able to find a space in one of the six car parks in the market town, including York Place which is a five-minute walk from the town square. There is also plenty of on-street disc parking across the town.

“Any EVs who use a charging bay at Chapel Street car park, or any of the charging bays across the district, will still need to adhere to the maximum stay period (four hours) and pay for the amount of time they park for (pay and display), as well as the cost of charging their vehicle. There are no parking fees for charging bays between the hours of 6pm and 8am to help residents charge their vehicles overnight.”

A Knaresborough businesswoman has described as “madness” a decision to close 20 parking spaces in the run-up to Christmas.

Harrogate Borough Council has allocated 10 parking bays in Chapel Street car park and 10 at Conyngham Hall for electric vehicles only. But the bays are currently sealed off, meaning no vehicles can use them.

The loss of spaces in a town where it is notoriously difficult to park has angered traders, particularly as it has occurred in the busy run-up to Christmas.

Kelly Teggin, who owns Kelly Teggin Hair and Beauty in Castlegate, said yesterday:

“In the middle of December we have people driving out of Knaresborough because they can’t get parked. It’s unbelievable — total madness.

“I agree we need more electric vehicle parking. But why close these spaces now in the run-up to Christmas so nobody can use them? I lost two customers today and as a small business I can’t afford this.

“I’m part of the chamber of trade and everyone is ringing me saying ‘why are the council doing this at Christmas?'”

Chapel Street car park in Knaresborough

One of Ms Teggin’s customers, called Lynn, described the situation as “ludicrous”. She added:

“It defies common sense. Kelly lost one customer when I was there today because she couldn’t get parked. The town is losing people it needs. We are all a bit gobsmacked this is happening now.”

Ms Teggin’s father, Steve Teggin, a businessman and former president of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, said:

“Knaresborough has always been drastically short of car parking. Now we have a line of bays empty yet people are driving around trying to get parked up. It’s unfair and where was the consultation?”

100 charging bays being installed

A council spokesperson said:

“To help achieve our net zero-carbon economy by 2038, and to support the demand and rapid uptake of electric vehicles (EV), almost 100 charging bays are being installed across the Harrogate district.

“More than 20 of these will be installed in Knaresborough, including Chapel Street car park, Conyngham Hall and the new Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre.

“These bays account for less than three per cent of the more than 800 spaces available in Knaresborough, not to mention the various on-street disc parking spaces available,, so we are confident that non EV drivers will still be able to find a space.

“These new charging points support the uptake in electric vehicles for both our residents and our visitor economy, and complement other sustainable travel options.”

Read more:

• Man jailed for setting fire to historic Knaresborough pub
• £405,000 campaign to restore public access to 41 acres of the old Knaresborough Forest

A Knaresborough hairdresser accused of causing catastrophic hair loss to a customer has won a ground-breaking legal case.

Mother-of-two Kelly Teggin challenged the customer’s claims that large clumps of her hair had fallen out after bleaching, leaving her with a blistered scalp.

A two-day county court trial, which could have landed Ms Teggin with a bill of more than £100,000, including costs, and damaged her reputation, ruled in her favour.

Court documents summarising the case, which was heard in October last year, state:

“On the balance of probabilities, nothing untoward happened to the claimant in the salon that evening and no concerns were raised that night. It was accepted that the claimant was content when she left.”

Ms Teggin, of Kelly Teggin Hair and Beauty in Knaresborough, has now spoken about the verdict publicly for the first time. She said:

“I was positive I had done nothing wrong and wanted to clear my name.”

Kelly Teggin (right) and assistant Penny Ledgeway

The Leeds County Court judge’s ruling in favour of Ms Teggin has been hailed as a breakthrough for hairdressers struggling to disprove claims that cost insurance companies millions of pounds every year.

‘Hair reduced to stubble in some places’

The claimant, from Boroughbridge, argued her hair started falling out on holiday, a few days after Ms Teggin bleached the roots in August 2019, and continued to fall out until she only had half her hair left, with it being reduced to stubble in some places.

The judge, Recorder Murray, said there was only evidence of minor breakage, which did not demonstrate there had been negligence.

Dismissing the claim, he also pointed out that UV light, heat and mechanical processes could damage bleached hair.

Read more:

• Knaresborough charity shop forced to close after fifth flood
• 23 trees in Knaresborough to be felled this week for new leisure centre

Ms Teggin’s solicitor, Sarah Pether, said the case could have been settled at the outset for around £6,000 damages and costs. She added:

“Trials in such cases are rare as insurers usually consider it more cost effective to settle at an early stage and pay the low level fixed legal fees.

“I have seen obvious cases of negligence before with ‘chewing gum’ hair, huge clumps falling out, hair turning green etc, where most people would accept the treatment was negligent and those cases should be settled to avoid court costs.

“However, a lot of claims now seem to be based on minor breakage which are not necessarily due to negligence, or do not prove there has been negligence, and with only £3,000 to £4,000 claimed each time the insurers have tended to settle them.”

‘Reputation on the line’

Ms Teggin said afterwards:

“I was putting my reputation on the line and risked losing my business if it all went wrong but I was never going to settle because the story simply didn’t stack up and I knew I had the evidence to prove it.

“I just hope this gives other hairdressers and the insurance industry in general the confidence to stand up against false claims, which are more common than people realise,” added Mrs Teggin.

Expert witness, forensic trichologist Prof Barry Stevens, welcomed the verdict, adding:

“It will hopefully lead to a closer review of claims within the industry.”

Knaresborough businesses have said they would strongly oppose any moves to pedestrianise the town’s Market Place.

Knaresborough Town Council put forward an idea to pedestrianise a section of Market Place in a recent survey on the future of the town.

But businesses spoke out overwhelmingly against the proposal in a heated debate at a Knaresborough Chamber of Trade meeting last night.

They said the plans, which could see the area from the phone boxes to the market cross pedestrianised with the loss of 14 parking spaces, would damage trade.

Many said the loss of parking would encourage shoppers to go elsewhere and make deliveries more difficult.

Concerns have also been raised about how the area would look and who would manage the upkeep.

‘Massive impact on sales’

After the meeting, Stuart Pieri, who owns of The Wine Shop which looks out onto the car park, told the Stray Ferret:

“I already have people leaving boxes of wine at the door whilst they go and get their cars and park up outside on the double yellows so without those parking spaces in front it’ll be even worse. It’ll have a massive impact on sales for me. It would be the difference from people buying a box and a bottle.

“As a resident, it would be lovely to see it pedestrianised and done properly but from a business point of view it’s not as practical. Either way, of course I will adapt, but I’d rather not have to.”

Carole Bardon, owner of the Lavender Rooms, had similar opinions:

“It would make life really difficult, especially for deliveries. The idea of it is nice, more space for chairs outdoors, but it just hampers everything else. People wouldn’t be able to park out here, especially disabled people wouldn’t be able to get to us.”

Read more:

• Ripon car park could be resurfaced by Friday — and has bigger bays
• Booming Boroughbridge trade inspires clothes shop relocation

Kelly Teggin

‘Don’t fix what isn’t broken’

Kelly Teggin, owner of a hair salon on Castlegate said:

“I don’t think Knaresborough needs pedestrianising, we struggle for parking as it is. Those parking spaces are always being used so to lose them would have a huge impact, we’ll all lose customers if they don’t think they can get parking. Why fix something that isn’t broken?

“Also, it would need proper management and with the castle only a minute’s walk away pedestrians are already spoilt for choice. I think the idea is nice but the ripple effect on businesses and cost doesn’t add up.”