North Yorkshire Car Park Charges to Rise Twenty Percent

A new car parking tariff will be introduced from Friday, April 19.

North Yorkshire Council says it's decision to implement a new tariff was made after careful consideration of several factors impacting the service.

It says that the cost of parking facilities, including infrastructure, repairs, lighting, and security has risen, and adds that ensuring a safe and well-maintained environment is essential for the convenience and satisfaction of customers.

The car parking tariff has not increased in some areas for more than a decade, with the majority unchanged for at least three years.

From April 19, there will be a 20 per cent increase across the car parking tariff, which reflects an annual increment of approximately 6.7 per cent since the last increase, which the authority says is "broadly aligned with inflation".

North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director of environment, Karl Battersby, said:

"We continuously strive to improve our parking services to provide a better customer experience. This includes investments in technology upgrades, such as automated payment systems and the installation of electric vehicle chargers to accommodate the growing market.

"We have refrained from increasing our car parking tariff for several years. However, to ensure we can continue to maintain the current provision and not divert funds away from vital frontline council services, we plan on introducing an increase across the car parking tariff that is in line with inflation.

"We also remain committed to improving public transport provision across North Yorkshire to ensure there are alternatives to car usage, as well as supporting efforts to become carbon neutral by 2030."

Later this year, the council will be drafting a strategy that will look at the parking provision across North Yorkshire to see where future changes and improvements can be made.

The council says it is also continuing to make investments in active travel so that people can opt not to use their car and instead walk, cycle or use public transport, and help to contribute to reducing their carbon footprint.

North Yorkshire Council leader Councillor Carl Les said the 20 per cent increase in car parking charges from April 19 were “not just about raising money”, but also about traffic management.

The authority, which has repeatedly introduced the maximum permitted rise in council tax without having to hold a referendum, says the car parking charge rise is needed so it avoid diverting funds away from vital frontline council services.

The council has also stated it is investing in automated payment systems and the installation of electric vehicle chargers, and more funding is needed to cover the cost of providing parking facilities, including infrastructure, repairs, lighting, and security has risen.

Opposition councillors have claimed the rise will create confusion, particularly in towns where there are different tariffs at council run car parks. In Scarborough charges at council-run car parks range from free to £2.20 an hour.

Critics have also highlighted the cost of car parking in town centres compared to out of town retail parks, such as the extensive one being developed at Scotch Corner.

Leader of the authority’s Labour group, Councillor Steve Shaw Wright, said while some towns had free publicly-owned car parks, people were facing mounting charges from the council to park in neighbouring towns.

He said:

“It’s like a lot of things North Yorkshire Council is trying to harmonise services across the county – there’s a lot more problems than they thought.

“They are milking the easiest target, which is car parking. However, they need to monitor it because in places like Selby there is only a parking warden one day a week, and it’s usually the same day.”

However, Councillor Les said alongside the car parking charges rise, a review of car parking charges across the county was needed.

He said it would be possible to harmonise the principles behind what drivers in North Yorkshire are charged.

Councillor Les said:

“Car parking charging policy remains the prerogative of the council where car parks exist, but the mayor can introduce special measures to waive car parking charges for up to a year, as long as he or she pays for that out of his or her mayoral pot.

“Car parking charges are not just about raising money, they are also about traffic management. If there was free parking in town centres all day people would park up at 8am and the car would be there at 5pm.

“There is a lot of discussion to be had about the merits of car parking charges, the reasons behind it and how the money is spent. We raise the money as a council, but must spend it in certain ways, to do with the traffic management and flows.”