Park and ride sites needed for Yorkshire coast visitor hotspots

MORE park and ride sites are desperately needed on the Yorkshire coast if the area’s tourism industry is to take full advantage of its growing popularity, a planning chief says.

David Walker, head of forward planning for Scarborough Council, says sites should be earmarked for three parks, one on the north side of Scarborough and two others at Whitby, where a long-awaited £2.5m scheme is yet to go ahead to cope with the resort’s increasing number of holidaymakers.

In a report on the council’s local development framework, its planning blueprint for the next decade, Mr Walker says land should be allocated now to safeguard sites for park and ride schemes.

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The idea is to create a long-term vision to boost transport along the Yorkshire coast which is increasingly clogged up with frustrated motorists.

One visitor, Margaret Hardy, 67, of Huddersfield, said: “I love going to Whitby, it’s a fabulous place full of history and places to see, but I am often put off by the thought of spending much of a hot, sunny day simply sat in the car fuming at the interminable delays.

“It would be great if the council over there could come up with improvements to the traffic situation – it has been truly horrendous for years now and more park and ride sites would certainly be a big step forward.

“The bank holidays are looming and Whitby is one of those places I often look forward to visiting but the prospect of sitting nose-to-tail in the traffic for hours on a hot day means this year we might go elsewhere.”

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And an AA spokesman said: ‘’If there is any silver lining to this recession it is that it has driven people to take domestic holidays including classic ‘old favourite’ seaside resorts such as Whitby instead of flying off to Spain.

“It would be an absolute tragedy if Scarborough and Whitby weren’t able to capitalise on this in the long term by showing to people in two to three years’ time what a wonderful holiday they can have in these resorts.

“I would urge the council planners to get their plans in order even if it is a matter merely of coming up with some temporary car parks.

“Once the economy recovers people will start flying off abroad again and they won’t get another chance for several years.

“This is a golden opportunity – seize it.”

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In addition the report considers the possibility of a bus terminal for Scarborough, envisaged along with the possible relocation of Seamer railway station to serve the Scarborough Business Park.

The planning issues raised in the framework also include encouraging non-retail use of parts of Scarborough town centre for entertainment, leisure, health and community facilities, together with policies to rejuvenate the ‘evening’ economy and extend the town centre.

Scarborough also needs a cultural quarter, targeting he arts as part of its tourism market, Mr Walker said.

Areas of the resort with hotels and holiday accommodation, should be given special protection to safeguard hotels and guesthouses from conversions, and criteria needs to be set for amusement arcades in Scarborough, Whitby and Filey.

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“The plan also needs to address the issue of potential retailing in the future,” said Mr Walker, who added that a study of retail options was now being carried out.

At Whitby, a larger and more attractive business park is needed, to create jobs and to improve its landscape because of its setting.

At the moment the park on the edge of Whitby is bounded by the A171 and has 40 businesses.

The draft area action plan says the idea is to “address the issue of potential retail provision in the future, seeking to strike an appropriate balance of the mix of uses within the business park”.

Mr Walker said a detailed plan was likely to be drawn up for the borough by the early summer which will then go out to public consultation.