Letter: Parking charges - Disc system is the best way forward

Since Harrogate Council lost its Highways Agency, North Yorkshire County Council has overall control of highways. This includes street parking charges, traffic lights and street lighting etc. etc.

I cannot believe that our own council would wish to damage the welcoming nature of our town for visitors and residents alike by extending the hours of charging into the evenings and on Sundays and by increasing the charges.

I would be very disappointed if HBC did feel that this was the right way forward. Obviously residents of the town and the district and visitors from further afield would all be affected.

Harrogate has the wonderful disc parking system. I notice disc zones of various durations – five minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, one hour, two hours, three hours and four hours. How flexible is that?

Charging is not needed for ‘traffic management’. Disc parking can do that admirably where necessary. Ticket machines and their maintenance are not needed, thereby saving various costs and even reducing street clutter.

Why should users of Harrogate town centre be penalised to a far greater extent than other North Yorkshire towns?

Henry Pankhurst

St Clements Road, Harrogate