Pateley Bridge’s annual parking permits will go on sale on April 1 at the reduced price of £10.

The permit, which is available to residents and non-residents, enables free parking for two hours at the town’s council-run Southlands and Nidd Walk car parks.

The permit cost £12 last year and also included parking at Nidderdale Showground.

But that arrangement ended in December when NIdderdale Agricultural Society, which owns the showground, ended a 21-year lease agreement with Harrogate Borough Council to operate the car park and appointed a private company instead.

The issue caused bad feeling as people who had bought the annual permit in good faith were shocked to discover before it had expired that they were liable for charges at the showground.

The 2023/24 permits, which cover two vehicles, will go on sale at Nidderdale Plus on Station Square on April 1.

Pateley town councillor Mike Holt said the permit was tremendous value, adding:

“The council was bitterly disappointed with the parking situation which occurred at the showground and has been in negotiation with Harrogate Borough Council.

“We are pleased to announce that through these negotiations, the parking permits will still be valid at Southlands and Nidd Walk for £10.”

Cllr Holt said the council received an allocation of 600 permits each year and usually sold 300 to 400 on the day they went on sale and the majority of the rest afterwards.

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Midday on market day in Knaresborough last Wednesday brought a familiar sight — cars struggling to park.

Town centre parking is rarely easy in Knaresborough but the decision to allocate 10 of the 56 parking spaces in Chapel Street car park to electric vehicle charging bays has incensed some businesses.

While vehicles hovered around the car park for a space to emerge, nine of the 10 EV charging bays were empty. Business owners say it’s costing them trade and are calling for a rethink.

We spoke to several who were all at pains to point out they support better infrastructure for electric vehicles, but claim Harrogate Borough Council went too far, too soon by removing so many bays at once and a rethink is required.

The sole vehicle charging in Chapel Street when the Stray Ferret visited last week was being used by Bev Nelson, who is originally from Harrogate but now lives in Sheffield.

Ms Nelson visits Knaresborough every few weeks for a hairdressing appointment at Kelly Teggin Hair and Beauty on Castlegate and said the chargers were great for her but questioned whether so many bays were required:

Bev Nelson (seated) and Kelly Teggin

Ms Nelson’s car was the only one being charged.

She said:

“We have a public car park near where I live in Sheffield which has two electric chargers. Ten does seem excessive.”

Ms Nelson pays via an app and hooks up a connection cable she keeps in her car. But although the charging process is simple, it isn’t quick: she needs to plug in for four hours just for 25% charge, which raises questions about the suitability of locating the charging bays in short stay town centre car parks.

Ms Nelson says she sympathised with Ms Teggin and other business owners who are feeling the impact.

Ms Teggin says:

“It’s hitting our shops really hard. I’ve got older lady customers who just don’t come to Knaresborough anymore.”

All the businesses we spoke to said some of the 10 EV bays should be made available to all vehicles until demand caught up with supply. Over time. more bays could be allocated EV-only, they said.

Garry Gilmour

Garry Gilmour, director of estate agents Newby James, said:

“There’s never more than three out of 10 spaces taken. I worked in the motor trade for years and electric vehicles are good but I don’t think they have thought this through.”

No multi-storey car parks

Emma Brierley, owner of butchers Huttons, agreed, saying the current allocation had been done to meet targets for 2038. She said:

“They have taken too many spaces too quickly. There’s not the need at the moment for that many.

“We already lose parking spaces on market day because of the market so with this on top we are 30 or 40 spaces down.  We don’t have any multi-storey car parks like Harrogate or a big supermarket car park like Ripon.”

Emma Brierley

Gill Mitchell

Gill Mitchell, owner of shoe shop Stomp, agreed.

“There’s a massive problem with parking in the town centre.

“Kelly has lost appointments which could be costing her £100 each. You can understand her frustration. It’s not as bad here because customers can come whenever they like.

“I can see both sides of the argument but it is a problem because some customers are saying ‘we can’t be bothered to come in because there’s nowhere to park’.”

Some traders said they weren’t sure whether non-EV vehicles parked in EV bays were actually getting parking tickets.

Harrogate Borough Council did not respond to this point when the Stray Ferret asked.

‘It’s been a big issue for some time’

Councillor Phil Ireland, the Conservative Cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability at Harrogate Borough Council lives in Knaresborough.

Last week he attended an event in Harrogate alongside rugby league legend Martin Offiah to mark the roll-out of 100 electric vehicle charging points in the Harrogate district.

Cllr Ireland said he understood and sympathised with the concerns:

“There’s always been this question of parking availability in the town centre. I know it’s been a big issue for some time”

But he added there were plenty of spaces just outside the town centre, such as York Place long-stay, which has 240 bays and is “grossly underused” although he acknowledged it was too far for some people. Knaresborough, he added, had good buses.

“Market day is always a pinch point. It’s popular and we do our best to keep it that way.

“But we’ve got to persuade people to invest in EV.”

Cllr Ireland said “range anxiety” deterred many people from going electric and the availability of chargers would address this.

He suggested groups like Knaresborough & District Chamber and Knaresborough Town Council could work with North Yorkshire Council, which will succeed Harrogate Borough Council at the end of the month, on issues such as running the market, which could lead to improvements.

Knaresborough market is held every Wednesday.

Net-zero by 2038

We put the traders’ concerns to Harrogate Borough Council.

In a statement, a council spokesperson said:

“To help achieve our net zero-carbon economy by 2038, and to support the demand and rapid uptake of electric vehicles following the end of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, we are installing almost 100 charging bays across the Harrogate district.

“In response to our ultra-low emission  vehicle strategy consultation, we received significant support for the creation of a public charging network. And thanks to a grant from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles we have been able to help meet this demand.

“More than 20 chargers will be installed in Knaresborough, including Chapel Street car park which is already being used by both residents and visitors alike.

“These bays, which are for EV charging only, account for less than three per cent of the more than 800 spaces available in Knaresborough, so we are confident that non-EV drivers will still be able to find a space in one of the six car parks in the market town, including York Place which is a five-minute walk from the town square. There is also plenty of on-street disc parking across the town.

“Any EVs who use a charging bay at Chapel Street car park, or any of the charging bays across the district, will still need to adhere to the maximum stay period (four hours) and pay for the amount of time they park for (pay and display), as well as the cost of charging their vehicle. There are no parking fees for charging bays between the hours of 6pm and 8am to help residents charge their vehicles overnight.”

A senior Harrogate borough councillor has said he was shocked and disappointed to discover new parking arrangements had been introduced at Nidderdale Showground.

NIdderdale Agricultural Society, which owns the showground, has ended a 21-year lease agreement with Harrogate Borough Council to operate the car park and appointed a private company instead.

The company has introduced automatic number plate recognition cameras to the car park and does not accept the council’s £12 annual Pateley Bridge parking permit, which includes parking at the showground and Southlands car park.

It means people who bought the permit in spring now have to pay extra to park at the showground — even though the deal they signed up to was for 12 months.

Cllr Stanley Lumley. Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, said:

“It is my understanding the agricultural society who own the land decided not to renew the lease with Harrogate Borough Council and instead contracted with a commercial company to manage the site

“This was a shock and disappointment to me, Harrogate Borough Council have provided Pateley Bridge with a valuable asset to the town, we welcome visitors and parking is an essential need especially during the holiday season.”

Cllr Lumley added:

“When we were selling the parking permit to local residents for short stay visits it was eligible for parking at all the Harrogate Borough Council parking sites in the town, we had no idea a change in the showground was due, we provided permits in good faith.

“I think it is a great shame this change has happened and I hope people who will have been parking there for many years aren’t caught out and fined.”

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The comments by Cllr Lumley, a Conservative elected to represent Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale Moors on Harrogate Borough Council, follow criticism of the new arrangement by Andrew Murday, a Liberal Democrat who represents Pateley Bridge and Nidderdale on North Yorkshire County Council.

Cllr Murday said people had bought permits in good faith and should be entitled to use them in the showground for the full 12 months they had paid for. He added:

“It is a disgrace. People have been blindsided and it’s unfair to issue fines.”

‘We don’t receive any revenue from this’

The society published a statement yesterday, which said:

“Due to the council’s 21-year lease ending on the car park, the decision was made to hand over the running of the car park to a private company.

“We also took the decision to keep the charges to exactly the same rate as the council charged.

“We understand that unfortunately some people have prepaid car park passes, which are no longer viable for the showground car park, but these could be used in the other car parks in Pateley Bridge.

“The car park now operates on an ANPR camera system which registers number plates on entry. There is a window of 10 minutes to park, pay or leave. Failure to do this unfortunately results in a fine which in no way is charged by the show society, and who do not receive any revenue from this.

“At present to pay an annual parking pass can be downloaded onto your smart phone or there is a number to ring and pay using card details.

“A card pay machine is to be fitted due hopefully by mid January 2023 to make payment simpler.

“The show society apologises for any confusion.”

Pateley’s annual permit still applies to the town’s Southlands car park, which continues to be operated by Harrogate Borough Council.

A Knaresborough businesswoman has described as “madness” a decision to close 20 parking spaces in the run-up to Christmas.

Harrogate Borough Council has allocated 10 parking bays in Chapel Street car park and 10 at Conyngham Hall for electric vehicles only. But the bays are currently sealed off, meaning no vehicles can use them.

The loss of spaces in a town where it is notoriously difficult to park has angered traders, particularly as it has occurred in the busy run-up to Christmas.

Kelly Teggin, who owns Kelly Teggin Hair and Beauty in Castlegate, said yesterday:

“In the middle of December we have people driving out of Knaresborough because they can’t get parked. It’s unbelievable — total madness.

“I agree we need more electric vehicle parking. But why close these spaces now in the run-up to Christmas so nobody can use them? I lost two customers today and as a small business I can’t afford this.

“I’m part of the chamber of trade and everyone is ringing me saying ‘why are the council doing this at Christmas?'”

Chapel Street car park in Knaresborough

One of Ms Teggin’s customers, called Lynn, described the situation as “ludicrous”. She added:

“It defies common sense. Kelly lost one customer when I was there today because she couldn’t get parked. The town is losing people it needs. We are all a bit gobsmacked this is happening now.”

Ms Teggin’s father, Steve Teggin, a businessman and former president of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, said:

“Knaresborough has always been drastically short of car parking. Now we have a line of bays empty yet people are driving around trying to get parked up. It’s unfair and where was the consultation?”

100 charging bays being installed

A council spokesperson said:

“To help achieve our net zero-carbon economy by 2038, and to support the demand and rapid uptake of electric vehicles (EV), almost 100 charging bays are being installed across the Harrogate district.

“More than 20 of these will be installed in Knaresborough, including Chapel Street car park, Conyngham Hall and the new Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre.

“These bays account for less than three per cent of the more than 800 spaces available in Knaresborough, not to mention the various on-street disc parking spaces available,, so we are confident that non EV drivers will still be able to find a space.

“These new charging points support the uptake in electric vehicles for both our residents and our visitor economy, and complement other sustainable travel options.”

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The car parks where you are most likely to be hit with a fine in the Harrogate district have been revealed.

New figures show a total of 3,934 penalty charge notices (PCNs) were handed out at the district’s council-owned car parks over a two-year period, with Ripon’s Market Place car park topping the charts.

The hotspot saw 559 poorly-parked motorists hit with PCNs, followed closely by Harrogate’s Montpellier Shoppers car park with 545.

Other popular locations which feature among the top 10 spots for tickets between September 2020 and August 2022 include Harrogate’s Odeon car park and West Park car park.

They are all owned by Harrogate Borough Council, which is responsible for off-street parking, while North Yorkshire County Council looks after on-street spaces.

A borough council spokesperson said:

“The majority of residents and visitors who use our car parks do so correctly and we’d like to thank them for doing so.

“However, some people don’t and as such may receive a Penalty Charge Notice.

“Parking enforcement is carried out to ensure compliance with parking restrictions and provide fairness for all customers.”

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A penalty charge notice is either £50 or £70, depending on the type of offence that has taken place.

If a car has been parked for longer than the time on its pay and display ticket, the charge is £50.

However, it is considered more serious if a car is parked where it shouldn’t be – such as in a loading bay when not loading or in a disabled bay without a blue badge – and the charge is £70.

The figures in full for the two-year period were:

• Market Place car park, Ripon – 559 PCNs
• Montpellier Shoppers car park, Harrogate – 545
• Odeon car park, Harrogate – 401
• West Park car park, Harrogate – 346
• Marshall Way car park, Ripon – 327
• Chapel Street/Fisher Street car park, Knaresborough – 292
• West Park multi storey car park, Harrogate – 258
• Cathedral car park, Ripon – 218
• Station Parade car park, Harrogate – 205
• Park View car park, Harrogate – 162
• Castle Yard car park, Knaresborough – 145
• Conyngham Hall car park, Knaresborough – 113
• York Place car park, Knaresborough – 83
• The Arcade car park, Ripon – 81
• St Marygate car park, Ripon – 58
• Southlands car park, Pateley Bridge – 48
• Victoria Grove car park, Ripon – 27
• Nidderdale Showground car park, Pateley Bridge – 26
• Waterside car park, Knaresborough – 16
• Blossomgate car park, Ripon – 10
• Victoria Grove coach park, Ripon – 6
• Nidd Walk car park, Pateley Bridge – 4
• Jubilee multi storey car park, Harrogate – 3
• Victoria multi storey car park, Harrogate – 1
• Dragon Road car park, Harrogate – 0
• Hornbeam Park car park, Harrogate – 0
• Park Road car park, Pateley Bridge – 0

Asda is to introduce a new parking system at its supermarket in the centre of Harrogate.

Cameras are being introduced to check number plates when vehicles arrive and leave the large car park.

Visitors will receive two hours for free but face a fine if they overstay.

Under the old system, motorists bought a ticket from a machine entitling them to park for up to two hours for £1.

The £1 was refundable at the checkout providing at least £2 was spent in-store.

Parking was monitored by enforcement officers rather than by cameras and people could return throughout the day.

There have been concerns raised on social media that anyone wanting to return to the store later in the day under the new system could be fined £70 because the maximum stay is two hours in 24 hours.

The old machines are being replaced by camera technology.

The new system has not yet been activated.

The Stray Ferret asked Asda when the new system would go live and to respond to concerns that motorists could be fined for parking on site twice in one day.

However, the company declined to comment.

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A Bentley that was casually parked on the Stray today has reignited the fierce debate about cars not following the rules when it comes to the 200-acre parkland.

The luxury vehicle was spotted parked on the grass, and on double yellow lines, this afternoon on Willaston Road, which is off Knaresborough Road and close to Harrogate District Hospital.

Parking on the Stray has been a long-running problem for Harrogate Borough Council. Last year it erected signs that said motorists parking illegally risk a £100 fixed penalty notice or being towed away.

A Twitter user claimed the chrome Bentley had been there for three days, which prompted the council to immediately despatch a member of its parking team to the stricken vehicle.

Less than an hour later, the car was spotted by a Stray Ferret reporter driving down Parliament Street.

It is not known whether the owner received a fixed penalty notice.

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Harrogate Borough Council has approved plans to demolish buildings at its Claro Road depot to make way for more parking.

The depot is used to store and sort recycling, and the proposals include 47 staff parking spaces with ten electric charging points, 36 spaces for council vans and the same amount for bin lorries.

Six storage and workshop buildings will be demolished to create room for a “more efficient and safe” site layout with a new one-way system.

The plans were approved at a meeting of the council’s planning committee yesterday, when Cllr Pat Marsh questioned what will happen to the depot when the council is replaced by the new North Yorkshire Council in April 2023.

Cllr Andrew Paraskos, cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, responded to say he was “hopeful” that the site will be used in its current form in the future.

He said: 

“We will still need a waste transfer station somewhere in the Harrogate district even though we do empty residual waste at Allerton Park.

“Recycling is taken to Claro Road first and then decanted into wagons to be taken wherever it is recycled and turned back into other products.

“Hopefully the site will have a future going forward.”

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Two potential plans for housing at Harlow Nurseries in Harrogate have emerged.

The site next to the Pinewoods is owned by Harrogate Borough Council and sells plants, pots and compost to the public.

However, the council’s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35, which outlines where development can take place, says 40 homes can be built there. The nursery will relocate if a development goes ahead.

Two options for how it could look were displayed at Pinewoods Conservation Group‘s annual general meeting on Monday by the charity’s chair Neil Hind. Both contain more than 40 homes.

The plans were drawn up by consultants on behalf of the council.

The first option includes 57 homes that are a mix of family homes and apartments.

The second option includes 62 homes and apartments and has less garden space than option one.

Both options include 30% ‘affordable’ homes. The two plans also say the development could achieve net-zero emissions, but don’t give further details on how this might be achieved.

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In September 2020, the council appointed three external consultants to draw up plans for the nurseries, as well as for two other brownfield sites in Harrogate.

The consultants will be paid with funding secured by the council in 2018.

The council received £200,000 from the Leeds City Region Business Rates Pool and £36,000 from the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Impact on Pinewoods

The plans could still change before the final report is published in May.

It would need to be rubber-stamped by councillors before moving to the next stage, which could involve the sale of the site to a developer.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Hind said:

“My view is there is no point objecting, it’s in the Local Plan, it’s a brownfield site and it’s going to happen. Our role is to ensure it has as little impact on the Pinewoods as it can have.”

Pinewoods Conservation Group’s AGM on Monday evening.

Harrogate Spring Water

The AGM was attended by around 25 people. Also on the agenda was Harrogate Spring Water’s hopes to expand its bottling plant on Harlow Moor Road.

The Stray Ferret reported this week that Harrogate Borough Council has said it would consider selling Rotary Wood to the company, which is preparing to submit a new planning application.

Mr Hind told the meeting that Pinewoods Conservation Group had lawyers on hand to ensure due process on any sale was followed.

Vehicles look set to be prevented from parking on a stretch of Chain Lane in Knaresborough following an increase in traffic travelling to the vaccination centre.

Chain Lane is a busy road in a residential area that also operates as a bus route.

It has been the site of Knaresborough’s biggest vaccine centre at Chain Lane Community Hub, run by Homecare Pharmacy, since September.

North Yorkshire County Council has proposed an order to stop traffic parking from January 17 after it found vehicles parking on the road were causing a danger to the public.

The parking restriction will cover the section of Chain Lane from Princess Terrace, near the bus stop, past the community hub and down to the turning for Eastfield.

The council’s notice said:

“Parked vehicles obscure visibility from the vaccination centre and cause issues with vehicles passing safely given the number of buses and parked vehicles causing a need to give/take far more frequently.”

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The temporary order is expected to be in place until July 16, 2023. But the council added if the vaccination centre closed before then, the order would be lifted.

Staff at the vaccination centre said they were unaware of the move.

Steve Cullerton, operations director, said:

“I can imagine it is problematic for locals, especially at the beginning when we were at our busiest. But it’s calmed down a bit now so hopefully the new order won’t be too inconvenient for people coming for a jab.

“I don’t think it’ll have a huge impact, we always tell people to park responsibly or go do some shopping in town first and park there, then come to us.”

The county council said signs will be put up to indicate the length of the restriction and where it is in place.