Decision on scrapping charity car park deal deferred

Members of Harrogate Borough Council met to decide whether to end the agreement, thought to have been in place for the last 25 years, with the Rotary Club of Knaresborough which sees the charity collect parking charges on Sundays and Bank Holidays over the summer months in Knaresborough’s Waterside car park.

The proceeds are then split between the council and the charity – but officers are proposing the agreement is ended and all the proceeds are kept by the local authority.

However, members agreed that a decision should be deferred pending a review of parking charges by the authority in the summer. In the meantime, councillors agreed the current arrangements will continue.

In a letter to the council’s cabinet Harry Murray, past president of the club, said in the last 10 years the arrangement has raised £12,000 for the club, which has been used to benefit local community projects.

A report considered by members said: “The revenue for Waterside car park from Sundays and Bank Holidays is collected by the Rotary Club and the income is split 50/50 between the club and the council.

“If we cease the arrangement, the council will retain all the revenue from the car park. It is difficult to justify only allowing the Rotary Club benefiting from the arrangement and officers have been approached to allow other charities to undertake the role and receive the same benefits.

“The service is required to make savings and it is no longer viable to continue to share the parking income with a local charity.”