Residents say visitors to Harrogate Convention Centre are stealing parking spaces

John Birkenshaw told Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors that a group of 61 residents living on Springfield Avenue, Spring Grove, Spring Mount and Springfield Mews had signed a petition calling for parking restrictions to be toughened up around the area to stop the current system being “abused” by visitors to the town.

On these streets, the North Yorkshire Council allows motorists to leave their vehicles for up to three hours for free if they display a parking disc.

However, after 6pm parking restrictions end until the morning.

Mr Birkenshaw said spaces are being filled by people attending events at the convention centre and shows at the Royal Hall with the problem worsening in recent years.

He said: “They regularly park in these streets, often overnight, to save on parking fees.”

Mr Birkenshaw said residents had purchased residential parking and visitor permits from the council but “can’t benefit from the privileges they are paying for”.

He added: “Many of us park hundreds of yards away which is a safety issue for residents when there’s poor weather, dark nights and uneven pavements.”

A statement was read out on behalf of senior council transport officer Melisa Burnham that said traffic regulation orders could eventually be issued on the streets.

However, she added there are several stages in the council’s process before it could finally be implemented.

Councillor Peter Lacey (Liberal Democrat – Coppice Valley and Duchy) said this illustrates the “tortuous” routes residents need to go through from the council to get a “blatantly obvious” solution to their problem.

He added: “The local group are not warriors, they just want to see sense.

"I’ve wanted to champion their cause because it’s perfectly reasonable and sensible.”