Port parking row picks up pace as new plans dubbed ‘divisive’

North Yorkshire County Council announced yesterday that it is overhauling the original blueprints to introduce on-street parking charges and permit parking across the town in the wake of a public outcry about the contentious initiative.

Opponents have voiced fears the scheme will undermine the seaside town’s hugely important tourism industry, with scores of independent traders who form the bedrock of Whitby’s economy losing custom if visitor numbers dwindle.

Criticism has also been levelled at the plans amid claims that certain neighbourhoods in Whitby will be disadvantaged and calls for a blanket policy to be adopted across the town.

The revised proposals will mean that just over a third of Whitby, focused on the town centre and the port’s famous West Cliff, will be covered under one overarching zone. The original scheme would have seen a total of nine zones introduced which would have covered the vast majority of the town.

Proposed charges would mean that residents in Whitby would have to pay just £5 for a permit up until 2017, when prices will rise to £17. Business owners are due to be charged £77 per year for their first permit with the price for subsequent permits rising to a maximum of £308.

Diana Jeuda, a retired trade union policy officer who has lived in Whitby for the past 15 years, has formed the One Zone 4 Whitby campaign group in a bid to provide a uniform approach to the scheme.

She said: “We welcome the fact that the council has listened to people’s concerns, but we still believe what is being proposed is hugely divisive. People who cannot apply for permits will not be able to visit family and friends in other parts of the town, and in terms of tourism the whole project could prove to be a disaster.

“If the parking enforcement is to be introduced, we want a scheme that covers the whole town with residents not left disadvantaged.”

The county council received in excess of 1,000 responses to the original proposals, with more than 80 per cent of the submissions being critical of the scheme.

The consultation, which began on August 9, had been due to run for three weeks, but it was extended until September 10 due to cope with the public’s response.

Members of the council told the Yorkshire Post the decision had been taken to revamp the parking scheme due to a wave of opposition which saw hundreds of formal objections lodged in the public consultation.

The vice-chairman of the county council’s Coast and Moors Area Committee, Coun Derek Bastiman, said: “A significant number of local residents and businesses did not agree with the original proposals.

“These new proposals take account of their views, and I believe demonstrate that we have listened to the views and opinions of the people of Whitby, and have responded accordingly.”

A decision on the revised proposals is due to be taken by the council in January, although Coun Bastiman was adamant the revised timescale would not impact on the construction of a park and ride site on the outskirts of the town.

The North York Moors National Park Authority, which was charged with deciding on planning permission for the park and ride scheme, gave approval in January this year for the 450-space facility.

The chairwoman of the Coast and Moors Area Committee, Coun Penny Marsden, will oversee the meeting at the end of January to consider the public response to the new proposals.

She said: “Nobody would dispute that congestion is a major issue in Whitby, The park and ride scheme is designed to ease the problems, so that visitors can continue to enjoy the wonderful attractions of Whitby without at the same time contributing to traffic problems, pollution, and so on.

“This is an important part of the county council’s determination to do all it can to help Whitby thrive and prosper.”

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