NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNCIL
20 MAY 2026
STATEMENT OF EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORTATION
Parking Update
The Council continues to drive forward several key parking workstreams, supporting the ambition for a modern, consistent, and financially sustainable parking service across North Yorkshire.
Machines update – the new supplier IPS has been awarded the contract for the new parking machines as part of our wider transformation programme. At the time of writing the installation process is being finalised with the first machines to be installed in July 2026 with the installation programme expected to complete by the Autumn. These new machines are expected to deliver MTFS savings through reduced printing costs, improved reliability, and lower maintenance demands. At the same time, we are replacing signs and upgrading lighting in our car parks to further enhance the customer experience as part of our investment programme.
Local Area Action Plans (LAAPs) – LAAPs remain central to translating our high-level Parking Principles into targeted, evidence-led actions. We have now launched LAAPs in Whitby, Scarborough, and Filey, with Harrogate and Knaresborough scheduled to follow soon. These plans involve survey analysis, internal workshops, member engagement, and detailed stakeholder consultation, ensuring that persistent local parking issues are systematically and transparently addressed. Key focus areas include commuter parking pressures, the future of disc parking, motorhome parking management, resident permit challenges, and longer-term questions around parking capacity and town centre functionality.
A59 Kex Gill – work is progressing steadily, with multiple activities advancing as the project approaches completion. The overall programme remains on track, though the opening date of the A59 section has shifted slightly to summer 2026 due to particularly wet weather between December and February, which affected some critical tasks. Despite this, work continues to move forward efficiently.
Current activities include stone facing on main structures to improve visual integration with the landscape, as well as ongoing drainage installation and communications ducting along the route. At Hall Lane, the existing bridge is being removed, while tie-in works, drainage, and preparation for road surfacing continue at the western end. Maintenance work is also being carried out at Blubberhouses Bridge, including re-waterproofing to reduce the need for future disruptions.
Safety improvements are a key focus, with realignment work at Church Hill to reduce the gradient and upgrade the junction on course for completion in late summer. A new bridleway is also under construction, linking Fewston Reservoir car park to North Moor Road.
Stakeholder engagement continues through regular newsletters and updates shared with residents, businesses, and wider audiences via direct emails and the Council’s media channels.
Transforming Cities Fund (TCF)
I am pleased to say there is overall good news regarding progress with Transforming Cities Fund projects. Following the successful completion of the Skipton project, a closure report has now been submitted to funders WYCA, along with a request to transfer the remaining contingency into the Selby TCF project. The scheme has delivered 1.3 km of improved pedestrian-only routes, one new pedestrian crossing, six new active travel signs, 1.3 km2 of resurfaced highway, 181 m2 of green landscaping/ infrastructure and a new bridge. The impact of the scheme is already being demonstrated with significant increases in walking and cycling of 35% within the areas of investment.
Selby TCF - after the initial delay in commencing the works, site establishment is now underway, some early utilities diversion works have taken place, and the contractor will commence in earnest with demolition works to James William House being undertaken in May following the outcome of bat surveys.
Harrogate TCF - Members will be aware that the Court of Appeal found in favour of the Council following the latest hearing on 3 and 4 March in relation to the legal challenge to the Traffic Regulation Orders 1 to 4, which are required for the scheme. The Court also refused the complainant the right to appeal its decision. The team is now working with funders WYCA and YNYCA to release funding for the project and subject to any further legal challenges, are targeting a start on site in late summer 2026.
Lane Rental for Streetworks
Members will recall that lane rental enables highway authorities to apply daily charges to works occupying the busiest parts of the road network at the most disruptive times. The aim is to incentivise shorter durations, improved planning, and greater collaborative working, thereby reducing congestion and minimising disruption to residents, businesses, and road users.
Initial approval for the Council’s Lane Rental Scheme was granted in December 2025, confirming that the proposal met the required policy and operational criteria and aligns with the national framework overseen by the Department for Transport. The Statutory Instrument was laid before Ministers at the end of April, with a commencement date of 5 May. In line with DfT requirements, stakeholders have been provided with 12 weeks’ notice of the scheme going live. In preparation for implementation, the Council has been shadow running the scheme throughout April. This has enabled statutory undertakers to see the types of charges that would apply if the scheme were live and has supported early understanding and behavioural change ahead of commencement.
A recruitment campaign has taken place and remains ongoing to strengthen the team in readiness for go-live. This includes extra inspectors and co-ordinators across the county, plus a dedicated charging officer to support the effective administration and mitigation of permit and lane rental charges.
Once live, Lane Rental will form a key component of the Council’s wider highways network management and permit regime, supporting stronger compliance, improved performance, and more reliable journey times on the most critical parts of the highway network to the benefit of the travelling public.
DfT consolidated funding settlement for highways and transport
The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) has received a consolidated funding settlement from the DfT. This incorporates funding for Highway Maintenance, Local Transport Grant, Active Travel and Capital Bus Grants. The Combined authority has moved away from utilising the existing DfT formula for allocating funding for highway maintenance. A proposal was put forward by the YNYCA to reduce NYC Highway Maintenance funding by £20.5M over the next four years, with £7.0M moved to City of York and £13.5M allocated to improvement schemes. NYC voted against this proposal, but the motion was passed.
The mayor has also established a Mayor’s Road Maintenance Fund, which is a top slice of £29.5M of highway maintenance funding. This funding is front loaded into 2026/27 and 2027/28, with £21M being allocated over the first two years. NYC will receive an additional £4M of funding this financial year compared to our previous allocation, but overall, there is a reduction in funding of £20.5M for highway maintenance over the four-year period, which is hugely disappointing.
The £13.5M moved to improvements is in addition to an existing £116M allocation over four years across York and North Yorkshire for improvement schemes and projects. Schemes for 2026/27 have been put forward to the Combined Authority with development work ongoing for schemes for delivery from 2027/28 to 2029/30. There is no formal split of improvement scheme funding between NYC and City of York, with decisions being made by the Combined Authority based on assessment of the proposed schemes against Local Transport Plan objectives.
Winter 2025/26
Since my last update in March, weather conditions have been broadly in line with the trend for this time of year, with some colder nights, the odd snow flurry in the latter weeks of March alongside frost and ice hazards. The end of March / beginning of April saw what we refer to as more ‘marginal’ nights where road surface temperatures fluctuated around zero. In the latter half of April, the number of marginal nights slowly reduced, with minimum road surface temperatures remaining mostly above zero. However, the odd chilly night and resultant hazards couldn’t be completely ruled out, so standby continued for another couple of weeks before the season came to a close.
A combination of sustained wet periods and the impact of those significant snow events alongside the usual freeze-thaw winter cycle have manifested on the network in the form of actionable defects, with highways teams identifying, ordering and fixing potholes that have formed, alongside concluding those final winter treatments as conditions dictated.
Parks and Countryside Services
Grounds maintenance operational staff have now moved to working summer seasonal hours to take advantage of the longer days and undertake our extensive programme of grass cutting, floral displays and grounds maintenance, ensuring the county is an attractive place to live, work and visit. The grounds maintenance service will also be undertaking a review of all summer operations with the aim to standardise vehicles, machinery and our overall operating model.
The team has successfully quality assessed over 180 NYC managed and maintained play areas to develop an improvements programme across North Yorkshire. This will be funded through Section 106 developer contributions, legacy capital funding and, where necessary, external funding grants. In addition to this the team have also processed almost £1.7m of Section 106 developer contributions on parks and open spaces improvements across North Yorkshire whilst improving the application process to ensure quality records are maintained of all expenditure.
The official opening of the Coast-to-Coast National Trail in March has been very well received both locally and nationally giving world class recognition to this iconic long distance walk and providing a huge boost to rural visitor businesses along the route. The first phase of work is complete on the King Charles III England Coast Path to improve the accessibility of a very well used section between the Bay at Filey and Hunmanby Gap. Phase two of surface improvements to a popular bridleway around Swinsty reservoir has been completed in partnership with Yorkshire Water.
New footbridges have been installed at Draughton, Sicklinghall, Lower Dunsforth and Wath (Nidderdale) and bridges repaired at Cotcliffe, High Worsall and Sowerby. A rope access inspection has been completed of Grosmont Suspension Bridge and we are awaiting the condition report and drawings from our partner consultant, APS. The refurbishment has however been complicated by emergency temporary works required on the adjacent railway bridge and we continue to work closely with The North York Moors Railway to co-ordinate both sets of work.
Trail Riders Fellowship volunteers have been busy on maintenance work across the Unsurfaced Unclassified Road (UUR) and Byways Open to All Traffic (BOAT) network and have donated £3,600 towards the repair of Coulson Bank at Battersby. Our volunteers have completed inspections of around 82% of our bridge assets (1763 in total) with the remainder due to be completed this financial year and I am pleased to say that they have generally found them to be in good condition.
Diversion Orders are being progressed to resolve similar building obstruction issues at Sherburn Mill, Eastfield, Shorten Hall and Staveley. The Diversion Order at Eastfield, Scarborough has now been confirmed, resolving a further building obstruction.
The opposed Definitive Map Modification Order (DMMO) at Fremington Edge, Richmond area has been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate. Opposed DMMOs at Skewkirk Bridge (Harrogate area) and Easby to Kildale (Hambleton area are currently being reviewed in preparation for submission to the Planning Inspectorate.
Integrated Passenger Transport
Officers continue to work closely with the Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) to deliver public transport services across North Yorkshire; with our public transport team continuing to manage day-to-day service delivery on behalf of the MCA.
Following the recent agreement in relation to future funding the Council has agreed to accept the delegated powers relating to public transport from the MCA for one further year. During the next 12 months the teams will continue to work together on several projects including a new joint Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) covering York and North Yorkshire. There will also be a full bus service review to look at which services to prioritise for funding across York and North Yorkshire.
Work will also be undertaken to identify all the areas of work that all three authorities are currently undertaking and to agree a model for the future delivery of public transport from April 2027.
COUNCILLOR MALCOLM TAYLOR