Ilkley's parking scheme is slammed

The introduction of charges and the allocation of parking permits to town centre workers have left some residents struggling to park on their own streets, it is being claimed.

And just over a week after the introduction of the new scheme changes are being called for by Ilkley BID the company that operates the town’s Business Improvement District.

Ilkley ward councillor Anne Hawksworth said the new strategy was causing problems on streets that had not previously been affected - particularly on Wharfe View Road, Richmond Place, Brewery Road, Mornington Road and Westville Close.

She said the situation in some areas was "absolutely dreadful" and she told Bradford Council to "sort it or scrap it".

Meanwhile other streets which are normally busy had been left with lots of space, she said.

"Something is wrong. It is going to have to be re-done, it needs re-assessing and re-designing. It is not working," she stressed.

Ilkley BID manager Helen Rhodes said: "We’ve had a lot of comments from workers that they are unable to park on the allocated street as it has been full when they have arrived for work. We’ve also had numerous reports of people being challenged by residents who were not aware that the roads would be used for workers as well as residents. We understand that in some parts of town, workers are now filling the streets and residents are not seeing any benefit from the revisions which must be very frustrating, but workers have to park somewhere."

She added: "When the scheme was put forward, we thought the key driver was resident satisfaction but we soon realised there didn’t seem to have been due consideration for the people who work here and keep the town the attractive destination it is. The council then offered Special Permits which was a clear move in the right direction but making them street specific has clearly caused problems, with some residents threatening to start campaigns to boycott our most well-known and loved shops. It’s such a shame this is causing divisions between us and this is something we have to sort out."

Ilkley BID voluntary director Sarah Barr-Young added: "Accepting that workers need to park and residents want to be able to come and go and park close to their home, Ilkley BID are asking why the long stay parking areas and the short stay pay and display on the periphery of the scheme can’t be made available for workers with special permits. If raising income isn’t a priority, surely this would make sense? We think there needs to be a complete review of the locations allocated to special permit holders."

The BID has highlighted a number of other issues and will be making a various formal requests to BMDC. These include the abolition of the evening parking charges in the South Hawkesworth Street car park, removal of the Sunday charges in the short stay parking areas, increasing the free period to one hour and the introduction of cycle parking spaces.

The town's MP John Grogan has also heard from people who are unhappy with the scheme.

He said: "I have had a number of representations about residents in some streets finding it hard to park because of the number of business permits issued in the same streets for those working in the town and tensions being created as a result.

"One possible solution might be to reallocate some of the holders of business permits away from residential streets to park in the Railway Road and Wharfe View Council Parks where there are plenty of vacant spaces currently.

"Bradford Council have promised to adjust the new parking scheme in the light of experience and I hope some changes can be made swiftly. It is a question of balancing the interests of residents, businesses, commuters and visitors."

A Bradford Council spokesperson, said: "The introduction of the new Ilkley parking scheme has generally gone well, however, we recognise there are still some issues with a number of streets.

"When traffic levels return to normal after the school holidays, we will better understand the demands for each street and can reallocate the free space to reduce the pressure on the hot spots.

"We have a constructive and positive relationship with the Ilkley BID.

"They acknowledged at this week’s meeting that the rollout of the scheme had gone more smoothly than some expected, and that many of the earlier issues have been dealt with quickly and pro-actively by the Council.

"Residents and businesses have raised similar issues with us directly, and we are looking at ways we can resolve these.

"Initial spot-checks have shown demand remains high for spaces in the centre of town. This reflects how attractive Ilkley is to visitors and how much Ilkley has to offer.

"We know that some of the longer stay areas are less well used at the moment, however, we won’t have a true picture of the impacts until everyone returns to work after the summer break.

"The Council will continue to listen and work with the BID and all our stakeholders in Ilkley. We will monitor and assess the impacts of the scheme and make the necessary adjustments to ensure it works well for everyone."