CAR parking charges across Craven will go up by 20 per cent from Friday, April 19.

All North Yorkshire Council owned car parks will see an increase, including Skipton High Street Car Park, Cavendish Street, Coach Street, Waller Hill, Bunkers Hill, and the car park at Craven Leisure, in Aireville Park, Skipton.

In the High Street Car Park, one hour parking will increase from £1.20 to £1.40; two hours will increase from £2.30 to £2.80, and for four hours, it will go up from £4.50 to £5.40.

Coach parking in the High Street car park for two hours will increase by £1 for two hours to £6; and for four hours, from £9 to £10.80.

At Craven Leisure, where parking charges were brought in in 2017, one hour parking will increase from 60p to 70p; for two hours, it will go up to £1.40; £2.60 for three hours, £3.80 for four hours, and for 24 hour parking, it will go up from £4.50 to £5.40.

There will also be an increase in permits for residents, non-residents and businesses. Year long short stay permits will increase from £70 to £84; medium stay from £120 to £144 and long stay, from £335 to £402. The 20 per cent increase also takes in business parking permits and for staff parking at Coach Street, Cavendish Street and Craven Leisure.

North Yorkshire Council has said the increase is necessary to 'maintain and improve its facilities' and says the tariff in some car parks in the county has not changed for than 10 years.

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."