Ripon contractors are on target to complete the resurfacing of the city’s cathedral car park a week ahead of schedule.

The work by A E Duffield & Sons as part of a £106,000 contract is due for completion on February 11, but progress suggests it could be finished by this Friday.

In an additional boost to motorists, a city council request for bays to be increased in size, to make parking easier, has been taken on-board.

A contractor told the Stray Ferret:

“The bays are now a minimum of 2.4 metres wide, compared with the previous ones that were 2.2 metres.”

The parking bays have been widened to 2.4 metres 

To accommodate the enlargement of the spaces, it is estimated that a dozen of the car park’s 193 bays will be lost.

Ripon City and Harrogate district independent councillor Pauline McHardy, who led the call for the bays to be increased in size, welcomed the progress made this week.

She said:

“I’m pleased with the positive response from Harrogate Borough Council to our request and thank them for that.

“I’m also delighted that the resurfacing work has gone smoothly and with it likely to be completed early, that will mean a week’s less disruption for people coming into the city who need somewhere to park.”

A E Duffield & Sons has recently been awarded another contract by Harrogate Borough Council to resurface the Fisher Street Car Park in Knaresborough, at a cost of £30,000.

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Harrogate Borough Council has announced that it has scrapped parking charges for lockdown.

The council said it will help NHS staff, key workers, essential businesses and those that need it at a difficult time.

It applies to off-street parking only and will be in force from tomorrow until December 2. Across the Harrogate district there are 33 car parks which will all be affected by the move.

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In Harrogate, it will mean that it is now free to park at West Park Long Stay Multi-Storey, Victoria and Jubilee car parks.

Harrogate Borough Council also scrapped the same off-street parking charges in the first coronavirus lockdown.

Parking charges and enforcement will still be in place for on-street parking to prevent issues with traffic management. North Yorkshire County Council, which controls on-street parking, will keep exceptions for NHS and care workers as well as coronavirus support volunteers.

Harrogate Borough Council has scrapped all fees at its off-street car parks to help NHS staff and other key workers.

In Harrogate, it will mean that it is now free to park at West Park Long Stay Multi-Storey, Victoria and Jubilee car parks.

But there are over 33 car parks across the Harrogate district which will all be affected by the move.

The council has warned motorists to still follow parking restrictions to ensure they do not create a hazard.

It comes as the Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust scrapped parking fees for its staff.

The government will cover the cost of scrapping parking fees after a petition calling for the move reached over 400,000 signatures.

However, with a surge of volunteers signing up to help at hospitals there were fears that there would not be enough car parking spaces.

This move to scrap off-street parking charges should help relieve some pressure on hospital car parks but government ministers have also called on some private parking firms to follow suit.