The introduction of parking charges at Weeton Station is causing concern about the impact on nearby roads.

Weeton is one of 10 stations where Northern Railway announced new parking charges this week.

Motorists now have to pay 50p for up to two hours or £2 per day between 8am and 4pm to park at the station.

This is prompting some drivers to park on streets near the station to avoid the charge.

David Chalmers, the chairman of Weeton Parish Council, said:

“A couple of people have highlighted to the parish council concerns over the likely impact the recent introduction of charges to park at Weeton station will have on the roads in the immediate area.

“Disappointingly Northern Rail did not notify us of the pending changes although given the lack of constructive engagement on other matters such as penalty fares I am unsurprised.”

A Northern spokesperson said:

“We consulted North Yorkshire County Council and rail officers in advance of charges going in and we also advised customers about the changes in advance by using posters at the station, our website and on the National Rail website.

“We’re introducing charges at these locations to ensure that our car parking facilities remain available for rail users only, as well as to align these stations with our other locations that saw the introduction of charges in 2022.”

The spokesperson also said the increase was introduced by the government, not Northern.

Mr Chalmers also said the extra traffic parked on streets could make it difficult for emergency services vehicles to get around the village, and faded yellow lines on the road further exacerbated problems.

He said:

“I am aware that a couple of weeks ago there were access issues for an oil tanker, a vehicle which is of similar size to a fire engine.

“This has been raised to North Yorkshire Council on multiple occasions without any meaningful feedback on whether they plan to have the lines repainted.”

Melisa Burnham, the council’s highways area manager, said:

“The local highways team are aware of the issue and there is an order in place to refresh the yellow lining 55 metres either side of the carriageway.

“We will be liaising with the parish council and local councillors regarding the works and will review all communications about this issue.”

Weeton is situated on the line between Harrogate and Leeds.

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London North Eastern Railway (LNER), the train operator that runs services between Harrogate, Leeds and York, has named Spanish company CAF as the successful bidder to deliver a fleet of 10 new tri-mode trains.  

The trains will be able to operate in electric, battery or diesel mode, and can help cut emissions and particulates, and lower maintenance and operating costs. 

Battery power reduces the need to use diesel traction in areas such as the Harrogate district, where overhead powerlines are not available. It also reduces noise and vibration pollution, resulting in less disruption for people living near the tracks. 

David Horne, managing director at LNER, said:  

“Successfully delivering this new fleet is an integral part of LNER’s business plan. Our focus is ensuring we create a fleet that truly matches the needs of all our customers, with clear targets on setting new standards for comfort, accessibility, and exceptional customer service.” 

The new trains will be added to LNER’s fleet of 65 Azuma trains and will keep the company on track to reduce its emissions by 67 per cent by 2035 and be net zero by 2045.

LNER operates services between London and Edinburgh on the east coast mainline, as well as connected routes to Inverness, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Middlesbrough, Bradford, Skipton, Harrogate, Hull and Lincoln.

Airport cruises towards net zero

The Harrogate district’s local airport has been awarded a five-star rating by the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark.

Leeds Bradford Airport achieved a score of 95% – its highest to date – increasing its rating by 79% since taking part for the first time in 2018.

An independent organisation, GRESB provides validated environmental, social and governance data for property and infrastructure businesses globally. To achieve a rating, businesses must complete an online assessment by providing raw monitoring data, as well as submitting evidence, in the form of certificates, policies and procedures.

Tracey Stevenson, sustainability manager at Leeds Bradford Airport, said:

“We are so proud to have seen an improvement to our GRESB score again this year. To rank second out of 10 UK airports is just a testament to how hard we strive year after year to keep improving.

“We see GRESB as a really valuable tool which not only allows us to benchmark our practises against other businesses but to uncover ways that we can improve processes to make the airport a great place for our colleagues and customers.”

Since 2018, LBA has improved energy efficiency both inside the terminal and out on the airfield, reduced the carbon emissions it produces directly by 67%. All electricity currently supplied to the airport is from 100% renewables.

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Commuters in Harrogate have reacted to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s pledge to ‘build better railways’. 

Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, in his first Budget announcement, made the pledge to spend billions of pounds on road and rail projects as part of a proposed £600 billion infrastructure programme. 

Although there was no specific announcement yesterday as to where the money will be spent, long-suffering passengers at Harrogate Railway Station were clear about where they feel the government should prioritise.

Jerome Morrow (pictured above) who regularly travels between Harrogate and Leeds, said

 “The trains themselves have improved, but too few carriages are put on and at peak times that leads to overcrowding and an uncomfortable journey.  

“Compared with London, we have a lot of catching up to do in the north. We are paying the same fares for an inferior service and investment should be made in the provision of more carriages.” 

York University sociology student Kate McWhirter

For York University sociology student, Kate McWhirter, who was in Harrogate to meet friends, the issue is lack of communication:

 “On four separate occasions recently, I was waiting for trains that were suddenly cancelled with no reason given for the cancellation and left wondering if the ticket I had was valid on another train. They need to spend the money on better communications.” 

The Harrogate line has recently had national attention with the Sunday Times reporting at the weekend that the 07:13 Harrogate to Leeds service being “the most cancelled in the UK”.  Northern Rail, which had operated the line, lost its franchise at the beginning of this month and the service is now in government control.