Review Ripon Article
News From Ripon's Business Community
Tuesday 01 May
Ripon Traders fight back with free City Centre parking scheme.
Independent businesses in Ripon are offering free parking in the city centre to customers from the end of May as long-awaited development starts to the west of the Market Square.
The scheme, the first of its kind in the Harrogate borough, has been developed by the independent traders in the city with the assistance and encouragement of Harrogate Borough Council.
Shoppers who arrive in one of the city’s pay car parks will be issued with two tickets from the pay machines. One ticket is left in the car, while the other can be taken to one of the participating businesses; if customers spend at least £5.00 in a store, they will have their parking costs refunded, up to a maximum of two hours, the equivalent of 80 pence.
More than 20 businesses are already signed up to the scheme. New signs in the car park will alert users to the opportunity to get their parking fees returned, and participating shops will be identified by special window stickers. There will also be posters and leaflets around the city and further afield, so look our for them soon when you shop in Ripon.
The scheme will begin on 24th May, as work gets underway on the new development where there is currently informal parking. It will run for at least 18 months, and its progress will be closely monitored to see if it should be extended.
Anthony Blackburn of Ripon’s independent department store Philip Hall, who is Chairman of Ripon Area Business Association, says, ‘Parking in Ripon has often been seen as a problem; now the independent businesses in Ripon are seeing it as an opportunity. We are fighting back against any disruption caused to parking in the city during the new development with this new refund scheme. Shoppers visiting the city can park for nothing, just as they can at the out-of-town shopping malls, and shop in our increasingly varied range of unique independent shops. We are confident of the success of the new scheme and hope to see many more customers in and around Ripon shops soon!’
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