31 AUGUST 2007:  PARKING in Ripon is at a premium following the start of work on the long awaited residential and commercial redevelopment west of the Market Place, which is expected to take two years to complete.  Although Harrogate Borough Council has found parking space to replace 130 spaces displaced during the building works, more is being done to ease the impact on city centre traders.

 

The derelict area being redeveloped had space for 180 cars with 70 set aside for short stays.  A planning condition stipulates that the developers must retain 50 spaces on site during the works.  Because these spaces are desperately needed for shoppers, the council is to make a Traffic Order reducing the maximum stay to four hours.  It hopes to discourage workers from parking there all day to the detriment of shoppers.

 

Councillor Don Mackenzie, Cabinet Member for Planning and Transport, says he is disappointed that more workers are not taking advantage of the free car parking which has been temporarily arranged at the Ripon Rugby Club on weekdays, although good use is being made of space provided at Bethel Church.  He said:  "We have just five spaces less now than we did before the work started.  This includes some parking on the Market Square except on Thursdays, which is Market day.

 

"To find more parking spaces in a tight city centre like Ripon is a challenge.  But the Rugby Club is not far to walk and it is a shame that less than half the spaces are being used.  We hope that everyone in the City will pull together during these works.  When the redevelopment is complete it will certainly bring a boost to Ripon's economy.  But we have to try to minimise the negative impact in the meantime.  The Ripon Area Business Association's scheme whereby shoppers get their parking fee returned when shopping in participating shops is working well."

 

The council has also improved its communications with all market traders in the hope that they will not park all day Thursday in the city centre when it would be just as easy for them to park out at the Rugby Club once they have unloaded.

 

Highway staff also hope to re-open negotiations with Ripon Football Club where it was planned to gain a further 40 car parking spaces.  John Burton, Head of Highways and Transportation, said:  "Sadly, our negotiations with the Football Club failed.  We had offered to reinforce the training pitch and resurface the car park and access road.  The Club wanted the council to pay for their lease of an all weather pitch, which we were prepared to do during the redevelopment but the Club then asked for this to be paid for in perpetuity.  We could not agree to this use of public money.  But we plan to speak again to the Club in the hope that they will help the City's economy as these 40 spaces will be invaluable and using them will have no impact on the Club's activities."  ENDS

 

NOTE TO EDITORS:  The redevelopment will provide a new supermarket for Booths; three additional shop units; a new road eastwards from Blossomgate, car park for 180 cars; and 21 apartments.

 

Harrogate Borough Council has set aside over £240,000 this financial year for new parking provision in market towns and will be looking to continue with the same investment next year.