Improvements to parking in Ilkley are being put in place today (Wednesday 14 April) and tomorrow (Thursday 15 April) in time for the weekend, to support shops and businesses reopening as part of the Government’s Roadmap out of Lockdown.
The changes being introduced by Bradford Council were proposed as part of the consultation on the Ilkley Parking Review Phase Two and include an increase from half an hour free parking to an hours free parking in the town centre, and an increase in on-street parking to at least three hours and in some places four hours.
Bradford Council will be contacting local businesses about the renewal of their business permits, and as previously announced the proposed charges will be waived for another year so they will just incur a basic admin fee of £10 a permit.
The changes are all part of Bradford Council’s support for businesses as the economy re-opens along with a wider range of measures such as waiving the licence fee for outdoor seating licenses for another year.
Other investments by the council in Ilkley town centre include the resurfacing of South Hawkesworth Street car park, adding a further electric car charging point and improved lighting.
Improvements to the junction of Brook Street and Railway Road are also currently being progressed, and the delivery of a CCTV network throughout Ilkley town centre that was recently approved at Bradford Council’s Executive Committee and is under development.
Julian Jackson, Assistant Director of Planning Transport and Highways, said: “Demand for parking in Ilkley has been high for a number of years, with residents, businesses, commuters and visitors all competing for a limited number of on and off street parking spaces.
“These improvements are a response to the findings of our monitoring of parking usage in the town and also surveys. We have tried to balance the needs of residents as well as businesses and their customers and staff, as well as commuters and visitors by allowing longer stays in the town centre, removing workers from residential areas, extending restrictions where necessary, and extending long stay pay and display parking to accommodate additional demand.”