North Yorkshire Council to invest record £2.5m in car parks - with card, cash and app payments all possible

North Yorkshire Council’s largest ever car parking investment plan, worth almost £2.5m, includes new payment machines and lighting to improve car parks while generating savings for taxpayers.

Under the plan, the council is looking to install 430 new solar-powered parking machines in its car parks and on-street parking places, as well as in the barrier control systems in its two multi-storey car parks.

The new machines, due to be considered by the council’s executive on Tuesday April 15, will replace current ageing technology, and be easier to use and more efficient.

A £400,000 programme to replace old sodium lighting with new LED heads and old lamp columns where required is also due to be considered to improve safety and security.

Investment in the machines and lights will generate cost savings of £587,000 a year, every single year.

Looking further ahead, the council will also seek to update signage across its car parks to meet legal requirements and make sure useful information is clearly displayed.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, Cllr Keane Duncan, said: “We’re working to transform our parking service by delivering much-needed improvements to ensure car parks are easier to use, safer and more efficient than ever.

“Our record £2.5 million investment package will deliver key benefits for everyone who uses our car parks, while at the same time delivering essential cost savings for our taxpayers.

“Right now, some of our car parks appear unwelcoming and are in a poor state of repair.

"The technology is outdated, with most machines approaching the end of their working life.

"Some are now 20 years old and prone to glitches.

“We know the experience can often be frustrating for users when machines suffer malfunction.

"We also know visitors are often surprised to find that some of our car parks only accept cash payments.

“Our plans will bring our car parking service into the 21st Century, so all 430 machines in the county can accept card, cash and app for the first time.

“The new machines will be much more reliable, solar-powered and better for the environment, with larger, brighter interactive screens and better instructions.

“They will also be ticketless, meaning less visits from our staff are required and less maintenance.

"They also remove the need for visitors to return to their vehicles after paying.

“We are also taking steps to improve safety and security in our car parks by replacing lights with new LEDs that are less prone to failure and easier to repair.

“We are proud to be giving our car parks the attention they deserve by bringing forward this record improvement programme.”

North Yorkshire Council’s executive will be asked to approve the investment in the county’s parking infrastructure on Tuesday April 15.