Letter: Sunday parking charges - It's all about the revenue

This charming spa town with its relaxed ambience which draws in visitors from all over the world is being threatened by over-zealous councilors who think they know better than the man in the street. The complete disregard shown by North Yorkshire County Council for the residents and businesses in Harrogate is astonishing.

Both businesses and residents have shown time and time again that Sunday parking charges are both unwanted and will be damaging to the local economy as visitors and local people alike will boycott Harrogate for shopping areas and other towns which do not charge for parking on Sundays.

So County Coun Don Mackenzie thinks that introducing charges on Sunday will encourage a more rapid turnover on premium parking spaces on-street and thus will be good for business. Is it not our council representatives’ job to support the wishes of local people and business rather than making excuses for the introduction of another local authority milch cow? Even though a compromise was suggested by local business man Mike Pywell to use the disc parking system on Sunday, thus encouraging taking up premium parking spaces for no longer than one to three hours maximum, this was not even an option put to Harrogate residents or businesses. Obviously no revenue would be forthcoming if this idea had been taken up.

Once again for NYCC it is not a case of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ but what can be done to raise more revenue. .Come on people of Harrogate, surely this decision can be reversed. And as for evening charges, let us not even go there.

Bibi Wesson

Harrogate