Business leaders fear parking charge rise will deter visitors

CAR parking charges are being increased and free Sunday parking abolished at a key location in one of Yorkshire’s most popular destinations amid grave fears the moves will undermine the multi-million pound tourism and retail sectors.

Harrogate Borough Council has instigated the hike in charges for its off-street car parks across the whole district to ensure that it can continue to provide key services as it faces a dramatic reduction in funding from the Government.

The increases are the first for seven years in many of the Harrogate district’s car parks but have had to be introduced to ensure that the authority can balance its budgets.

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However, business leaders have stressed that the decision, including ending free Sunday parking until 1pm in one of Harrogate’s main multi-storey car parks, will erode trade and tourism.

And in a separate move, North Yorkshire County Council, which is responsible for on-street parking, is also considering increasing charges by 10 pence for every 30 minutes in the spa town.

The vice-president of the Harrogate Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Peter Jesper, claimed the impact of the increased fees would be felt across the whole district and not just the spa town.

Mr Jesper, who runs the stationery firm, Jespers of Harrogate, which was established in 1901, is helping create a new town centre development group.

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He said: “In these times of austerity, there is enough pressure on the pound already. Harrogate town centre needs visitors and local residents alike to be spending money. Increases in parking charges will not help achieve this, and it is an area of huge concern.”

The rises will be imposed across the Harrogate district from September 1, and will see a handful of individual fees rise by as much as 25 per cent.

The cost to park in Harrogate’s West Park multi-storey will rise from £5 to £6.20 for a 24-hour period, while a monthly pass for Victoria Grove in Ripon will increase from £20 to £25.

However, the council’s cabinet member for planning, transport and economic development, Councillor Richard Cooper, maintained that the vast majority of the rises equated to only a few pence on the existing charges.

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And he stressed that church-goers and shoppers will still have access to 2,000 free on-street car parking spaces in the town centre area of Harrogate.

Coun Cooper said: “The increases are being introduced so that we can continue to provide services such as CCTV, street cleaning and refuse collection.

“The vast majority of the rises will equate to a matter of pence for each vehicle. But without the extra money, we would have to look at other ways of generating income which could lead to increases in council tax bills.”

Council officers have estimated that £193,450 is needed from parking fees during the current financial year to balance budgets, and the increased fees will provide an additional three per cent in income.

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Despite increases at many of the council’s sites across the district, car parking fees are being frozen in Harrogate’s Victoria and Jubilee multi-storey car parks.

But free car parking on Sundays until 1pm will end in the Jubilee multi-storey, as well as at sites in Ripon and Knaresborough.

Council officials admitted the free parking cannot be continued due to the financial pressures the authority is facing. The Government is cutting its funding to the council by £2.7m during the current and next financial years.

But Coun Cooper was adamant that the district’s parking fees remain extremely competitive compared to other locations in Yorkshire.

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York’s Castle car park, next to Clifford’s Tower, has an hourly fee of £2.10, compared to £1.30 for both the Jubilee and Victoria multi-storeys in Harrogate.

The hourly fees for the Fisher Street car park in the centre of Knaresborough have risen from 50p to 60p.