NORTHALLERTON BID PARKING REPORT

NORTHALLERTON BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT High Street Parking Report

May 2018

Contents

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NORTHALLERTON BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

1

High Street Parking Report

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May 2018

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1: SUMMARY

3

2: INTRODUCTION

5

3: FINDINGS

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3.1 Other towns

6

3.2 Current parking landscape for cars, coaches and cycles

3.2.2 Major car parking sites outside the BID area 3.2.3 Coach parking

3.2.4 Cycle parking

7 9 9 9

3.3 Northallerton BID parking survey

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Introduction

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14 14 15 15 15 16

Delivery of original objectives A: Increased traffic flow/reduced congestion on the High Street B: Increased turnover of parking C: Improvement in the local economy D. Improved air quality on Friarage Street E: Increased attraction of the High Street for cyclists and pedestrians

Conclusions

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3.5 Congestion in Northallerton town-centre

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3.6 Discussion with authorities

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4: OPPORTUNITIES Embracing new technology Improve signage and reduce confusion Reduce traffic congestion and improve pedestrian safety Improve sustainable transport and introduce a cycling plan Consider park-and-ride options Engage and discuss ideas with business owners

18 18 18 18 18 19 19

5: RECOMMENDATIONS

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6: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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High Street Parking Report

1: SUMMARY The Northallerton Business Improvement District (BID) Board has commissioned an investigation into how the current arrangements for car parking on Northallerton High Street and surrounding areas meet the needs of shops and businesses and what improvements could be made to enhance retail footfall and visitor numbers.

The report examines evidence from other towns and cities that shows a direct correlation between the availability of free parking and economic prosperity. It also contains examples of once-prosperous town-centres that have come under severe financial pressure through the introduction of costly and inflexible parking regimes.

The findings of a survey completed by around 100 businesses within the Northallerton BID area are presented. They reveal serious concerns about the impact on trade since the introduction of parking charges on the High Street in 2014. An overwhelming majority of 63% believe the charging regime has brought a negative or a very negative effect on their business.

There is particular criticism of the 30-minute limit on free parking on the High Street, with calls for this to be extended to one hour to be consistent with neighbouring market towns such as Bedale, Thirsk, Stokesley and Yarm. Businesses said customers felt rushed and there had been reduced footfall and a drop in sales.

The BID report takes a detailed look at whether North Yorkshire County Council’s original objectives for the charging regime have been met and finds that the evidence in areas such as improving traffic flow, easing congestion, reducing pollution and minimising potential road safety hazards is at best inconclusive.

The report identifies Friarage Street as a particular congestion hotspot and urges the relevant authorities to identify and implement solutions for safer pedestrian crossing and improved traffic flow.

Feedback has also highlighted potential confusion for visitors by the mixture of free disc parking and ticketed free and pay parking, as well as anomalies over signage and enforcement. The BID identifies a need for the intelligent use of new technology such as parking apps to make it easier and more convenient for shoppers.

Informal discussions with Hambleton District Council indicate a willingness to introduce new technology in their car parks and an encouraging desire to work with the BID in planning its implementation.

The North Northallerton Development is likely to increase pressures on traffic flow in the town. Provision of cycle paths and cycle parks within the town centre has been examined but no tangible plans to increase sustainable transport have been identified.

Based on its findings, the BID strongly recommends NYCC to review the current High Street parking regime and increase the free parking period to one hour for the convenience of shoppers and the economic prosperity of the town.

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2: INTRODUCTION It is a key desire of the Northallerton Business Improvement District (BID) to establish a parking regime that works for all stakeholders: visitors and customers; shops and businesses; and local authorities.

A detailed report by the British Parking Association in 90 town-centres around the UK highlighted a direct correlation between retail footfall and the quality and availability of parking spaces. More specifically, in seeking to maintain the status and appeal of North Yorkshire’s county town as an attractive place to visit, we are all too aware of the threat to trade from new, out-of-town developments such as Scotch Corner Designer Village, which is expected to open by Christmas 2019.

This, of course, is part of a wider national trend. Only this month, Marks & Spencer announced the closure of 100 town-centre stores to concentrate on out-of-town sites where parking is free.

We believe it is more important than ever to defend the vitality of Northallerton towncentre by making it as easy and convenient as possible for visitors and shoppers to park.

To achieve our aim, the BID has conducted research into the provision of car parking in the town-centre and adjoining streets with a view to establishing how current arrangements meet the needs of shops and businesses and what improvements can be made to enhance retail footfall and visitor numbers. Our research has taken serval forms: • A survey of businesses within the BID • An examination of how other towns have met the often conflicting requirements of car parking • An analysis of how outcomes from the High Street charging regime have met NYCC’s objectives • Engagement with local authorities on local car parking planning and application of new technologies

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High Street Parking Report

The report takes a close look at congestion ‘hotspots’ and bottlenecks and also examines how demands on parking will change and increase in the near future through major projects such as the Treadmills development and the North Northallerton housing development, which will attract extra traffic and pressure on spaces.

This report contains the results of a detailed survey exploring the views of retailers and business owners within the Northallerton BID area. Completed by just under 100 respondents, it represents a comprehensive cross-section of findings about the impact on trade and footfall since the introduction of parking charges in 2014. It also examines how the charges have affected shopping behaviour and their impact on staff parking.

Our primary aim is positive dialogue on how we can work together to develop a progressive and comprehensive parking strategy that meets the needs of a modern, dynamic town-centre. The challenges from changing retail habits and an expanding population have never been higher, but we are convinced there are real opportunities to boost Northallerton’s retail footfall and enhance the town’s reputation as a convenient place to shop and do business

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3: FINDINGS 3.1 Other towns It is not difficult to find examples of other market towns facing the same commercial challenges as Northallerton. Town-centres up and down the country face increasing competition from changing shopping habits and new retail parks where easy travel access and free parking have popular appeal.

What is interesting is how other towns and cities have introduced or reinstated extended free parking to arrest declining footfall in major traditional urban shopping areas. In all of the following recent examples, there has been a recognition of the mutual benefits of councils and chambers of commerce working together proactively to achieve common commercial gains.

In 2014, a decision was made to introduce a free two-hour car parking period in Scunthorpe to help under-pressure retailers. In the first five weeks of the scheme, North Lincolnshire Council reported visitor numbers had shot up by around 50 per cent.

When free Saturday parking was introduced at multi-storey car parks in Northampton, there was a similar boost for High Street footfall. In the first three months since the introduction of free parking, 23,000 more cars parked in the multistoreys compared with before the offer, according to figures from Northampton Borough Council.

Free parking was also introduced in Alnwick, where Northumberland County Council reported ‘increased trade and footfall’. Town-centre trade is estimated to have gone up 10 per cent.

Council leaders in Clacton attribute the success of their thriving town-centre to a free parking permit issued to all tax-paying households. The number of empty shops is now half the national average.

Bedford Council announced a 2 per cent increase in High Street footfall after offering free parking, and a reduction in long-stay parking fees in Walsall town-centre resulted in twice as many drivers parking in council car parks.

Meanwhile, Penzance has seen proactive measures to promote trade in the towncentre after the local BID and chamber of commerce expressed concerns about shop closures in the face of fierce competition from out-of-town retail parks.

Shoppers are now also able to purchase annual season car park tickets for £47 that allow them to park in Penzance’s long-stay car parks for under £1 per hour.

While this report was being prepared, councillors In Darlington voted to introduce free parking for the first two hours in a bid to stimulate trade in the town-centre, following announcements by Marks & Spencer and House of Fraser of major store closures.

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High Street Parking Report

In direct correlation, many once-prosperous town-centres are suffering considerable financial hardship through the introduction of new car park charging regimes. Traders in Folkestone reported a 30% drop in takings following new charges.

In Pembrokeshire, several businesses have reported a 40% reduction in turnover since new charges were brought in. Meanwhile, traders in Market Rasen claimed their overall takings dropped by £265,000 in nine months following the introduction of parking charges.

The BID is very open to following the lead of these other communities by entering a constructive dialogue with authorities on ideas to improve and strengthen Northallerton’s retail presence.

3.2 Current parking landscape for cars, coaches and cycles Parking within the Northallerton BID area is a broad mixture of local authority and private provision. The tables show the main sites and charges, excluding smaller private parking areas owned by individual businesses.

SITE

SPACES CHARGING AVAILABLE DETAILS

SERVICED BY

High Street

270

30 minutes free, 80p for 1 hour, £1.60 for 2 hours

NYCC

Applegarth Long Stay

266

£3.20 for 2 hrs

HDC

Applegarth Short Stay

148

80p for 2 hrs

HDC

Hambleton Forum West

74

£1.60 for 2 hrs

HDC

Hambleton Forum East

63

£3.20 for 2 hrs

HDC

Crosby Road

228

£3.20 for 2 hrs

HDC

Tesco

310

2 hrs free for customers only

Tesco

Sainsburys

214

2 hrs free for customers only

Sainsburys

Romanby Road

80

£2 for 2 hrs

Car Parking Management Ltd

Golden Lion Hotel

70

£3 for 2 hrs

Golden Lion Hotel

M&S

36

15 minutes free for Collect by Car; 50p for 1-1.5 hrs; £1 for 1.5 - 2 hrs

Euro Car Parks

B&M

146

Free

B&M

Asda

43

1 hr free

Parking Eye

TOTAL

1,948

High Street Parking Report

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3.2.2 Major car parking sites outside the BID area

SITE

SPACES CHARGING AVAILABLE DETAILS

SERVICED BY

Northallerton Railway Station

131

APCOA

Northallerton Disc Zone

405 across No charge for 13 zones variation between 30 (some within mins and 3 hrs BID area)

NYCC

Friarage Hospital

230 (total for 2 parking areas)

£2 for 2 hrs

South Tees Hospitals NHS

Northallerton Auction Mart

120

Wed* & Sat £2; Mon, Tues, Thu & Fri £1.50.

All day parking. *Subject to space on sales day.

UK Car Parking Management

TOTAL

886

£4.80 per day; £22 per week; £182 per quarter; £595 per year

3.2.3 Coach parking Surprisingly for North Yorkshire’s county town, Northallerton does not have a defined area for coach parking. This is seen as a barrier for potential tourism opportunities and a disadvantage for retail footfall in the town.

3.2.4 Cycle parking Within the BID boundaries, cycle parking is available at several locations. Traditional Sheffield stands are used in almost all instances. No covered accommodation is provided for bikes, and there is a particular shortage of stands on the High Street.

The Applegarth car park contains the most number of stands but their location is by no means obvious to visiting cyclists. The stands are situated next to the pay points and some of these are at the outer edges of the Applegarth site where their presence is often obscured by cars. Not surprisingly, these stands are little used.

Other stands, particularly around Town Hall, are regularly obstructed by obstacles such as waste bins and commercial vehicles.

The recent introduction of secure cycle parking facilities at Northallerton Railway Station is welcome. It is claimed that the new racks will encourage customers of train services to cycle to the station rather than drive, thereby helping to reduce road congestion in the Northallerton area. However, in the absence of cycle paths or cyclesafe routes to and from the station it is difficult to see how this claim will be fulfilled.

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High Street Parking Report

Location of bike stands:

LOCATION

NUMBER OF STANDS

Applegarth car park

9

Tesco

7

M&S Food Hall

3

Town Hall (North)

2

Town Hall (South)

2

Jnct with Zetland Street

2

Mason’s Arms

1

All Saints Church

4

Outside Tickle Toby Inn

1

Northallerton Library

2

Yorkshire Building Society

1

Outside County Arms

1

TOTAL

35

3.3 Northallerton BID parking survey A total of 94 BID members were surveyed for their views on the current car parking regime in Northallerton and asked to give feedback on how it affected their businesses. The vast majority - 57.1% - had owned a business in the town for more than 10 years, with a further 23% owning a business for less than five years. This represents a substantial perspective on parking issues in Northallerton both before and after the introduction of charges.

Asked to evaluate the availability of parking in the the town-centre, more than 41% rated this as poor or very poor. A similar number rated it as average, while 11% thought it was good and just over 6% very good.

There was particular criticism of the 30-minute limit on free parking on the High Street, with calls for this to be extended to one hour as in neighbouring market towns.

Businesses said customers felt rushed and there had been reduced footfall and a drop in sales. An overwhelming majority of over 63% believed the car parking regime had brought a negative or very negative effect for their business, while none believed it had been positive for trade.

There were also firm opinions on traffic congestion. Just under 60% believed there had been either no improvement, or congestion had become slightly worse, outside their businesses since pay parking was brought in. A further 19% felt it had become a lot worse. Only 9.52% thought congestion had eased.

High Street Parking Report

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Around two-thirds of businesses have access to street parking outside their businesses by pay meter or disc display, with around 40 per cent insisting it was essential for customers to park outside their premises to collect bulky items. Staff at just under 70% of businesses surveyed drive to work and park in either public or private car parks. Typically, they pay around £3.50 per day to use these facilities.

Further comments from individual businesses include: • Calls for better signage. Different pay parking and disc zone regimes are confusing for visitors to Northallerton • Displacement - shoppers are going to other towns and retail parks where parking is cheaper and easier • Calls for better traffic management. Need for a pelican crossing in Friarage Street to ease congestion outside the new M&S • Problems of finding parking space for staff and complaints about pricing • Suggestions that staff should be offered long-stay parking concessions or permits • Calls to widen parking bays, particularly on the High Street where owners of larger vehicles are incurring fines for narrowly infringing white lines • Concerns that town-centre parking will not be able to cope with the projected increase in population brought by the North Northallerton development etc • Calls to relax parking charges in the North End • Calls for meters to have card facilities • Concerns over ‘over-eager’ parking wardens • Calls for relaxation of parking charges on public holidays, particularly over the Christmas period • Concerns were raised about inconvenience to customers and the pricing and availability of long-stay parking for staff.

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High Street Parking Report

NORTHALLERTON Current Car Parking Spaces in Northallerton

Northallerton BID Area Car Parks owned by HDC Car Parks owned by NYCC

Main Privately Owned Car Parks

© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2018 OS 100018555 Civic Centre, Stone Cross, Northallerton DL6 2UU Telephone: 01609 779 977 Fax: 01609 767228

[ 1:6,473

High Street Parking Report

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3.4 High Street parking Introduction This section examines the aims of the original Traffic Order for a parking charge regime on Northallerton High Street and whether these can claim to have been met. It looks at data supplied by North Yorkshire County Council as part of a sixmonth post-implementation review and other information provided by NYCC in correspondence with Northallerton BID. A charging regime for Northallerton High Street car parking was proposed by the Executive Members of North Yorkshire County on 26 October 2013. The County Council stated that having the largest population in Hambleton, Northallerton was being reviewed ahead of the other market towns - Thirsk, Stokesley, Bedale, Great Ayton, and Easingwold - in the area. However, it appears that reviews of the parking arrangements in these towns has not been carried out.

The objectives of the parking regime in Northallerton agreed by the NYCC Executive were: • “…to improve traffic flows and encourage shorter stays, thus enabling more people to park, both of which would have a benefit on the local economy.”

• “The proposal will discourage drivers wanting to stay for more than 30 minutes from searching the High Street for a free space, thus alleviating congestion.”

• “The charging structure should also facilitate a further improvement in turnover of spaces by encouraging shorter stays and help to ensure that the High Street is accessible to shoppers, which is the purpose of this ‘premium’ town centre parking stock.”

• “The proposal will contribute to the Local Transport Plan (LTP3) objectives set out in the table below.”:

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LTP3 OBJECTIVES

IMPACT

Local economies

• Ensure prime parking spaces on the High Street are available for shoppers • Ease congestion around the town centre by encouraging drivers to park off-street for stays of more than 30 minutes.

Environment and climate change

• Reduce emissions associated with standing traffic and congestion on the High Street.

• Improve localised air quality on Friarage Street which has been identified by Hambleton District Council and recognised in the LTP3 as an area of concern

Safety/healthier travel

• Easing congestion will minimise the number of potential hazards for all road users and make the town centre more attractive for cyclists and pedestrians

High Street Parking Report

Your ref:

Tel: 01609 532556

Our ref:

M41TR001.BM.DB

Fax: 01609 797141

Contact:

David Bowe

Email: david.bowe@northyorks.gov.uk

A consultation ensued to which nearly 400&people responded, only 10 of whom Corporate Director – Business supported the charging regime. Despite the objections, at their meeting on 10 Environmental Services February 2014, the County Committee for Hambleton approved the implementation County Hall of the regime together with a six-month post-implementation review. At that review Northallerton on 26 January 2015, the Committee agreed with the officers’ view that there was no North Yorkshire, DL7 8AH justification for major change to the regime.

Delivery 12 of original Octoberobjectives 2016 Date:

Web: www.northyorks.gov.uk

Had the objectives of the charging regime been successful, several outcomes should DearbeMrevident: Hutson A. Increased traffic flow/reduced congestion on the High Street

Thank you for your letter dated 25 July 2016 which was passed to me to respond direct. I must B. Increased turnover ofa parking apologise for not providing full response sooner.

C. improvement in the local economy

The first point I want to highlight is that traffic flow data for the High Street would indicate that ther D. been Improved air quality Friarage Street since on-street parking charges were introduced. Th has not a reduction inon vehicle numbers chartE. below showsattraction monthlyof traffic flowStreet data for Highand Street between the hours of 08:00 – 18:0 Increased the High for the cyclists pedestrians which corresponds with the time period the on-street charges apply. The data is provided from Ju 2013Evidence to provide comparison of the before and after trendsought: following the implementation of on-stre foraeach of these desired outcomes has been charges in June 2014. The trend shows that traffic flow on the High Street has remained relatively A: Increased flow/reduced the High constant.

There istraffic a clear reduction incongestion traffic flowon during the Street months of December and January bu Data provided by Mr D. Bowe, Corporate Director for Business Environmental was the case prior to the implementation of on-street charges.& The data certainly does not indica Services NYCC, to Mr C. Hutson presented below indicates no clear trend in traffic that fewer vehicles are travelling on the High Street following the implementation of on-street char flow from June 2013 to spring 2016.

Traffic flow Northallerton High Street (08:00-18:00) 10000 9800 9600 9400 9200 9000 8800 8600

8400

/cont

As noted above, if the High Street charging regime was working as intended as a Mr Ctraffic Hutson management measure, we would expect to see a significant increase in traffic On behalf of Northallerton Retail flow. But from these data such & anBusiness increase isForum neither clear nor evident. This finding c/o Cotliffe House is consistent with the views expressed in the BID survey that traffic congestion in the Sowerby underhas Cotcliffe High Street not decreased since the introduction of car parking charges.

NORTHALLERTON DL6 3RE

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B: Increased turnover of parking Data provided by NYCC indicates that the percentage of vehicles parked in the High Street for 30 minutes has increased from about 45 pre-Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) to a current figure of 70%. This finding supports NYCC’s desire to encourage shorter stays and thus, in theory, enables more people to park. However, there is no clear evidence that in reality the number of parked cars has increased: an outcome that has resulted in a reduction rather than an increase in “shopper hours”.

C: Improvement in the local economy As a consequence of the reduction in shopper hours and the “30-minute anxiety” reported by many of the BID survey respondents, there is a strong indication that the implementation of the current parking regime has brought about a detriment rather than the intended benefit to the local economy.

Annual Average

Masons Arms

Hunt and Wrigley

Casa Rustica Grande

The Tithe

Quattro Ragazzi

Odana

Friarage Street Roundabout

Bankhead Road

Pennine View

South Parade

Air Quality Station, South Parade

D. Improved air quality on Friarage Street Air quality monitoring is carried out by Hambleton District Council. Their NO2 data (below) shows no discernible improvement in air quality post-CPE. Air pollution levels have remained broadly unchanged since 2012, well before the implementation of the parking regime. Accordingly, there is no evidence to indicate that this objective has been met. (NB HDC do not monitor particulates in this area.)

2012

36.1

38.1

37.5

35.3

33.1

36.5

26.7

12.5

13.1

29.5

19

2013

33.5

38.3

37.1

32.9

31.3

29.0

25.0

12.1

13.6

31.3

19

2014

31.2

38.6

39.4

36.7

36.3

30.9

27.1

12.9

14.4

33.4

20

2015

31.8

37.6

38.0

33.7

31.8

28.0

25.6

11.5

10.9

30.3

19

2016

31.7

36.0

34.9

31.0

29.2

26.0

27.0

13.1

11.8

32.8

19.6

E: Increased attraction of the High Street for cyclists and pedestrians No evidence has been provided by NYCC to support this objective. By its own admission, there has been no reduction in vehicle numbers. There has been no increase in lock-up facilities for bicycles and no indication that CPE has had any effect on making the town-centre a safer environment for road users.

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High Street Parking Report

Conclusions The above analysis indicates that with the exception of encouraging shorter stays, the objectives of introducing High Street parking charges have not been met. It appears that an unintended consequence of the shorter stays is a reduction in “shopper hours” which might be expected to be detrimental to the local economy.

These findings complement those from the BID survey. An overwhelming majority of over 63% of the respondents believe the car parking regime has brought a negative or very negative effect for their business, while none believed it had been positive for trade.

This combination of findings indicates a very strong logic for abandoning the existing High Street parking regime and increasing the period of free parking to one hour.

3.5 Congestion in Northallerton town-centre Congestion in Northallerton town-centre is caused by a range of factors, and by no means all of them emanate from the central shopping and business area itself.

The problem of how to alleviate delays at Low Gates level crossing has exercised councillors, engineers, motorists and business people for decades. The railway line carries freight and passengers between Teesside and the North-West and London, and figures show barriers at Low Gates are down for about four-and-a-half hours every day.

At peak times, Low Gates can be shut for 25 minutes in every hour. This can lead to tailbacks stretching a quarter of a mile to the south end of the High Street, with standing traffic contributing significantly to air pollution.

In 2016, a ‘summit meeting’ called by local MP Rishi Sunak identified five potential solutions to resolve the congestion incurred by the Low Gates crossing. However, it appears no timescale has been established to identify and implement a preferred option.

The new North Northallerton housing development will include a new road bridge over the railway but, despite popular perception, it was not designed as a trafficbuster for the High Street. The HDC’s specific aim is for the link road to mitigate the impact of additional traffic that will arise from this development.

Within the town-centre, there has been a marked increase in congestion on Friarage Street since the opening of the new M&S Food Hall in 2016. Shoppers accessing the store cause traffic to back up at the pedestrian crossing, where there are safety concerns through impaired visibility of vehicles turning off the High Street.

The volume of pedestrians using the zebra crossing causes traffic to back up and this is not good for their safety or traffic flow. We would suggest a thorough review of safety at the crossing and the consideration of better traffic control procedures.

A controlled crossing at this location would significantly decrease the dangers to pedestrians and increase traffic flow.

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Despite the existing congestion and likely future increase in vehicle traffic, there appears to be no integrated sustainable transport plan for the town and surrounding area. However, both local authorities have expressed a a need for increased sustainable transport.

The North Northallerton masterplan produced by Hambleton District Council acknowledges a need to reduce the number of journeys made by private car and outlines an objective to provide pathways that enable residents to access the towncentre on foot or by cycle. NYCC, also, recognises the need for an increase in sustainable transport. Their recent proposals include a plan to reduce the requirement for car parking at the County Hall site by the introduction of a county-wide Travel Plan that will seek to promote the use of other modes of transport. The BID looks forward to seeing further definition of these plans.

3.6 Discussion with authorities The BID has sought to be open and transparent about its objectives and has consulted with Hambleton District Council and Northallerton Town Council on the broader landscape of parking within Northallerton in general. It welcomes the constructive attitude expressed in informal discussions with HDC.

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High Street Parking Report

4: OPPORTUNITIES Several town and cities are pointing the way with modern technological aids that make parking easier and more convenient for shoppers and local authorities alike.

We believe it is imperative to embrace these opportunities to encourage shoppers to come to Northallerton.

Embracing new technology Other Yorkshire towns such as Wakefield have enjoyed a positive boost in footfall since the introduction of their RingGo service whereby drivers can use their debit or credit cards to access all the local authority’s pay-and-display car parks. RingGo uses a free smartphone app that offers a variety of ways to pay, such as through the app itself, a phone call or text message and also via the RingGo website.

Motorists appreciate the convenience of cashless payments and there are other useful ideas to expand or explore such as parking season cards and pay-as-you-park.

Improve signage and reduce confusion BID members regularly highlight the problem of confusing signage for the variety of pay and free disc parking regimes in Northallerton. We feel every effort should be made to encourage new visitors to the town and make it as easy as possible for them to park. Improved signposting would certainly help in this respect.

Reduce traffic congestion and improve pedestrian safety Options for how road traffic is routed through Northallerton could be explored. In particular, traffic modelling could be used to assess the impact of introducing further one-way systems, for example in the High Street, Quaker Lane and/or Friarage Street.

It is a widely held view that a controlled pedestrian crossing in Friarage Street would provide an opportunity to reduce significantly the current dangers to pedestrians and to increase traffic flow in this area.

Improve sustainable transport and introduce a cycling plan The BID supports sustainable transport opportunities wherever they can be introduced to ease congestion, improve air quality and enhance the experience of pedestrians in Northallerton. While there is provision for new bus routes and cycle paths within the new North Northallerton housing development, we feel there is a clear need for a comprehensive cycling plan for the town.

Existing cycle paths are very limited and there is a distinct shortage of lock-up stands in the town-centre and surrounding areas. We recommend working with agencies such as Sustrans to make Northallerton both a cycle-friendly and pedestrian-friendly town.

Consider park-and-ride options There have been suggestions in the past of a park-and-ride facility at the former Allertonshire School site. We would like NYCC to take a fresh look at this proposal as well as examining other opportunities to offer shuttle services from outlying areas to the town-centre.

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Engage and discuss ideas with business owners As well as giving their views on parking in the BID’s survey, several business owners expressed a willingness to become further engaged in the consultation process.

We suggest this is a good opportunity for local authorities to create an ongoing discussion with the BID about how the parking regime can be structured to the maximum advantage of the town.

5: RECOMMENDATIONS The BID seeks to work constructively with NYCC to examine the current parking regime on Northallerton High Street and identify ways to improve and enhance the town as an attractive place to shop.

We recognise that NYCC, like all local authorities, faces significant financial pressures and that it is unrealistic to expect the total abolition of parking fees. Nevertheless, we are convinced there are intelligent opportunities to increase retail footfall through the introduction of more flexible parking arrangements on the High Street.

Evidence from other towns and cities points strongly towards a direct correlation between retail performance and the availability of free parking. The BID strongly recommends NYCC to extend the free parking allowance on Northallerton High Street to one hour.

Not only would this bring Northallerton into line with other local market towns such as Bedale, Thirsk, Yarm and Stokesley, it would help to alleviate time pressures on shoppers, increase footfall in High Street shops and bring positive benefits for the local economy.

Like all town-centres, Northallerton is facing huge challenges from changes in retail habits such as online shopping. It is more important than ever to make it as easy as possible for visitors to access the town and enjoy its many attractions. Extending free parking to one hour would send out a strong signal that Northallerton is an attractive place to shop and do business.

New developments such as the North Northallerton housing project and the Treadmills development will lead to further pressure on parking spaces and we believe this is a golden opportunity to review how CPE can be made to work for the benefit of the town. We believe it is time for progressive and open-minded thinking on how we can learn from other market towns; how we can employ new technology to make it easier for drivers to park; how we can work with partner agencies to improve sustainability, increase opportunities for cycling and decrease congestion and pollution.

The BID is ready and willing to work with NYCC to review all of these matters. We are convinced Northallerton can become an excellent case study in how businesses and local authorities can join together to encourage economic development and prosperity.

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High Street Parking Report

6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The BID is grateful to the assistance of Northallerton BID parking committee for assistance in compiling this report and also thanks Click-Click Words and Pictures.

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