Parking charges to be frozen

Harrogate Borough Council has decided not to impose any increases in parking fees except in the spa town's Victoria multi-storey car park in the hope of bringing more customers into the surrounding market towns.

The income from off-street parking charges supports a wide range of council services, including street cleaning, refuse collection and the operation of closed- circuit television.

The increase in the charges for the Victoria multi-storey in East Parade in Harrogate is due to kick in from September and will see fees rise from 1.10 per hour to 1.30 an hour – a rise of 18 per cent.

However, council officials have stressed that the fees are significantly less than comparable charges in Leeds and York, where prices in multi-storey car parks are more than 2 an hour.

The rise will also boost income during the current financial year by about 78,000, and 125,180 in the following 12 months.

But a shortfall of 107,000 is expected during 2011/12 and another review of charges will have to be undertaken next year.

The council has, however, agreed not to impose any increase in fees for car parks in Harrogate's other sites, as well as Ripon, Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge.

Talks with North Yorkshire County Council have also led to a price freeze for on-street charges in Harrogate and the Market Place in Knaresborough.

The Yorkshire Post revealed last week that Harrogate Borough Council's economic experts had warned that enterprise is being stifled across the district by poor transport links and a two-tier economy which has seen rural communities lagging behind the spa town.