A new North Yorkshire car parking charge tariff will be introduced to help maintain and improve facilities.

North Yorkshire Council (NYC) will implement the tariff, which will see a 20 per cent increase, on April 19.

The council have said this will help pay for the cost of parking facilities, including infrastructure, repairs, lighting, and security.

They have said the tariff has not increased in some areas for more than a decade, with the majority standing untouched for three years, and the increase is in line with inflation.

The Northern Echo: A new North Yorkshire car parking charge tariff, which will see an increase of 20 per cent, will be

They added this reflects an annual increment of approximately 6.7 per cent since the last increase.

North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director of environment, Karl Battersby, said: "We continuously strive to improve our parking services to provide a better customer experience.

"This includes investments in technology upgrades, such as automated payment systems and the installation of electric vehicle chargers to accommodate the growing market.

"We have refrained from increasing our car parking tariff for several years. However, to ensure we can continue to maintain the current provision and not divert funds away from vital frontline council services, we plan on introducing an increase across the car parking tariff that is in line with inflation.

"We also remain committed to improving public transport provision across North Yorkshire to ensure there are alternatives to car usage, as well as supporting efforts to become carbon neutral by 2030."

The Northern Echo: A new North Yorkshire car parking charge tariff, which will see an increase of 20 per cent, will be

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NYC will be drafting a strategy later this year looking at parking provision across the region to see where future changes and improvements can be made.

The council said they are continuing to make investments in active travel giving people the choice not to use their car and instead walk, cycle or use public transport – reducing their carbon footprint.

Last week, the council announced a £3.5 million boost for North Yorkshire buses with timetables expanded and £1 fares introduced for under-19s, under a new one-year pilot.