Ben Rhydding parking decision rests on charges verdict (From Ilkley Gazette)

Ben Rhydding parking decision rests on charges verdict

7:00am Saturday 4th February 2012 in News By Amanda Greaves

Parking restrictions are planned at Wheatley Lane, Ben Rhydding, on the Post Office side of the road.

A decision on proposed parking restrictions in Ben Rhydding has been put on hold awaiting a Bradford Council verdict on possible parking charges in Ilkley town centre.

Bradford Council’s Keighley Area Committee agreed at its meeting last Thursday to defer its decision on plans for waiting restrictions on a 19-metre long section of Wheatley Lane.

The proprietors of Ben Rhydding Post Office requested restrictions as customers calling at the shop by car regularly experience difficulty parking.

But objectors were concerned the restrictions could simply lead to cars being parked further along the mostly residential street.

Keighley Area Committee members felt they could not have the debate on implementing or rejecting the restrictions until the issue of parking charges in Ilkley town centre was resolved.

The committee recently referred proposals to end free on-street parking in Ilkley town centre back to the council’s Executive for reconsideration.

Ward councillor and Keighley Area Committee member Councillor Anne Hawkesworth (Con, Ilkley, is concerned the introduction of parking charges in Ilkley could lead to increased commuter parking problems in Ben Rhydding in the streets nearest to the railway station.

“There would be a knock-on effect,” she told the Gazette. “I went around there the morning before the meeting and I counted I should say at least 40 cars parked which were quite clearly people who were commuting.

“It’s this whole commuting issue we’ve got to resolve.”

The committee studied a report from Bradford Council at its December meeting which discussed the introduction of on-street parking charges in Ilkley, Keighley, Bingley and Shipley.

Officers estimated charging 60p per hour to park in Ilkley town centre street parking spaces could generate £54,000 for Bradford Council a year.

Members of the committee said the charges could have a serious effect on retail trade in Ilkley, and the proposed Ben Rhydding traffic regulation order should not proceed until the implications of regulation in Ilkley had been fully considered.

Last month, Coun David Green, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration, economy and sustainability, told Ilkley Business Forum nothing had been decided about introducing on-street parking charges in Ilkley.

He admitted he could understand traders’ and residents’ concerns about parking in the town and its role as a major rail head, and said he would be happy to discuss the wider issues and not just on-street parking.

He said his position was currently “neutral” on whether there should be on-street parking after hearing “good things and bad things” about the proposed scheme after being taken on a tour of the town’s ‘parking hot-spots’ by Coun Hawkesworth.