NEW town ambassadors have been appointed in Northallerton to promote tourism and make the town a regular destination for coaches.
They are the friendly faces who will greet visitors to give out maps promoting the town’s attractions and vouchers offering discounts in shops, restaurants and cafés.
Dressed in blue Love Northallerton uniforms, the ambassadors went on duty for the first time last week as Coathams Coaches of Saltburn christened the new dedicated coach park in the Applegarth.
The spaces have been provided by Hambleton District Council as part of a joint project with Northallerton Business Improvement District (BID) to attract more visitors and boost the local economy.
BID chair Lindsay Judd joined senior members of Hambleton District Council and the mayor and deputy mayor of Northallerton, Cllrs Phil Eames and Paul Cornfoot, in welcoming Coathams Coaches.
The Love Northallerton Town Ambassadors, sponsored by the BID and recruited by Hambleton Community Action, will ensure visitors make the most of their visit by showing them everything North Yorkshire’s county town has to offer.
The passengers and civic welcome party
Coach drivers will be looked after, too, with each pre-booked driver receiving an £8 food and drink voucher to spend in the town centre.
“We’re really excited about making Northallerton a coach-friendly venue,” said BID manager Graham Bell. “We’ve seen how other towns benefit from a thriving coach market and we want to become a leading host destination ourselves.
“Our ambassadors will be on duty in the town centre on Wednesday and Saturday market days initially and everything is in place to give visitors a fantastic day out in Northallerton.”
Two new coach parking spaces have been laid out by Hambleton District Council in the main Applegarth car park. The time limit is four hours – and parking is free.
There is flexibility to allow a third coach for a short drop-off. Overflow coach parking spaces are available at Willowbeck Road, next to Halfords on the northern High Street and on the Standard Way Industrial Estate.
Coach operators are asked to contact the manager of Northallerton Tourist Information Centre, David Cundell, on 07784 163966 to book spaces.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here