Where do we begin? It is all but impossible to find anyone that thinks this is a good idea. The District is short of money through its own policies & yet they want those who shop & work in 3 of the town centre's to foot the shortfall. Where is the justice there?

If they wanted to appear to be fair the Council would impose charges on all of its car parks. The employees of the Council & those attending the Leisure Centres.

There is no alternative to many, we have to drive. Shopworkers (unlike the Council's) are often on the minimum wage & live further than walking distance. The lucky ones are on a bus route - but that does not help enough.

Shoppers expect free parking. It is the key attraction for a market town. Hambleton would like to compare our towns to Ripon & Helmsley - but we don't have a Minster or a castle. Parking prices in Ripon have recently doubled & it is clear that its town centre is suffering.

For our town's to stay as they are we can not afford to loose any customers to out of town centres like Teesside Park & York.

10 years ago Hambleton was clearly told by the people that they did not want this. Who do they think they are? Because they're not "represenatives"

Support the Campaign For Free Parking & write to your Hambleton Councillor.

I live in Scorton, but i actually work in Northallerton and have done so for the last 6 years and therefore have to travel everyday for work, i work in retail, and would assume that over 80% of staff from other business also work in the retail trade too. Most of these workers including myself do not work ordinary 9 - 5 hours, most people work flex-time, unsociable hours and weekend work is included as part of their working week, not like the council officers who work maybe 9 - 5, monday to friday. I think it is a disgrace that the general public, workers and the town people should be made to pay for parking when the council have obviously misbudgeted. We all know the local councils, try to use up all of the money that they have been allocated so that they can get the same the next year, this happens not just in this county but all over england, we see roads being dug up only a few weeks after they have been re-done, i am sure i am not the only one that notices that things get done just before the end of the financial year. it will cost me around £400 extra per year,just to come to work, public transport is not reliable, the services we do have, dont arrive on time, leave earlier than expected and car sharing is a joke, people work different hours, different days and what happens, if your driver if off sick, how are we supposed to deal with that. everyone i have spoken to have said that it will destroy Northallerton, people will go the retail parks so they can shop without having to pay charges. the council should not be allowed to make decisions such as this when it effects every single person living and working in these areas.

Dear Mr Barker, The Car Parking Charges Action Group cannot believe how sad you, other councillors and officals of Hambleton District Council are. It is obvious they have no love for anyone else except themselves leaving their wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, partners on what should be the most romantic night of the year the 14th February. As you know a lot of our group are in the catering trade and have to work and most of the rest of us should or will be out with our partners. This is a very ill thought out date or in your case a very clever date as you know not many angry group members can turn up. WE URGE YOU TO CHANGE IT NOW.

People of Northallerton calm down.

As a previous resident of Northallerton and someone who still works in Northallerton I can't understand the fuss!

Most towns charge for parking and the charging amounts quoted are not high.

For people traveling to Northallerton to work there is reasonable public transport links. I travel daily by train and find it on time 99% of the time. It also works out cheaper than driving by car.

The problem is most people are afraid to break from their comfy cars and switch.

For shopping, a car park fee wouldn't put me off. What put's me off more is the lack of quality shops in Northallerton.

All of the arguments about parking charges,in Northallerton,boil down to one thing - Will charging benifit the town? Yes it will produce an income for other council services - but the amount is unknown. Yes it will put off some people from visiting the town - but the amount is unknown. There is a real danger that the income will be less than expected and the damage to trade greater than expected - Why take the risk?

car parking charges action group wrote:
Dear Mr Barker, The Car Parking Charges Action Group cannot believe how sad you, other councillors and officals of Hambleton District Council are. It is obvious they have no love for anyone else except themselves leaving their wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, partners on what should be the most romantic night of the year the 14th February. As you know a lot of our group are in the catering trade and have to work and most of the rest of us should or will be out with our partners. This is a very ill thought out date or in your case a very clever date as you know not many angry group members can turn up. WE URGE YOU TO CHANGE IT NOW.

TO whoever,
as the daughter of a councillor I can assure whoever you are that my father and his colleagues are not sad. Many COuncillors have a lot of other commitments sometimes attending 4 Parish COuncils a week in the evening as well as numerous meetings during the day on top of full time jobs. If the only night they could find free is Valentines Night then it shows how hard the Councillors of Hambleton work. As for the meeting it was at 6.30pm leaving plenty of time for romance afterwards. As for it being Valentines day thats neither here nor there obviously the COuncillors and officers in Hambelton are secure enough in their relationships to not to have to feel obliged to go out on Valentines day like a bunch of lovesick teenagers

These proposals are outrageous and will reduce our vibrant market town high streets to a series of fast-food outlets and mobile phone shops as has been seen in so many other places in the UK.

Perhaps the D&S Times could host a petition or reader poll to gauge public opinion.

My concern in all this, whatever the outcome, is the feeling that the councillors have made their minds up to impose a charge come what may. The response I have read in this newspaper talks of "..we have not decided on the level of charges.." rather than a will we-won't we mentality. So if they intend to do it, why has so much money been wasted on the consultation - that may well be the real crime here, when the dust settles.