A “small number” of HML employees are letting Skipton down, according to their bosses.
Since relocating to their new headquarters at Gateway House, on the town’s Gargrave Road, in February, Homeloan Management Ltd employees have been urged to adopt a variety of parking options.
But people who live nearby have complained that residential roads have been clogged with cars belonging to HML staff.
They say it has added to the problems already faced by residents at pick-up and drop-off times of students at Skipton Girls’ High School and Craven College.
Workers are also parking on a private street – Harewood Road – and in a layby off Gargrave Road. The now-closed Nicholas Smith’s garage, opposite the site, has placed boulders at its entrance to stop people parking there.
A spokesman for HML said the company had spoken to the police, residents and its employees in an effort to promote thoughtful parking.
“A small number of employees have chosen to ignore this and, as a consequence, let us and the local residents down,” the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Coun Paul Whitaker, chairman of Craven District Council, has called for a report on the situation at Gateway and an update on the progress of the company’s Green Travel Plan.
“It is not giving the company a good name,” he said.
Coun Whitaker, who has asked for an investigation by the council’s enforcement officer, said he had suggested single yellow lines on residential roads.
He has also asked for a meeting with North Yorkshire County Council’s highways department in Skipton.
Averil Merrington, of Park Wood Way, said the situation had improved since HML had sent an email to all its 800 employees at Skipton.
“It is certainly a lot better than it was, but the cars parked on the bus pull-in outside Nicholas Smith’s don’t look very good for people as they come into Skipton,” she said.
HML says it took immediate action after learning its employees were causing problems for residents from the end of May.
“We reminded them of the parking facilities we had provided and asked them to consider local residents’ needs when they were choosing where to park,” the spokesman said. “We also went to see those residents who had complained and, through them, identified cars belonging to HML employees. A reminder of the facilities we had provided was put on their windscreens.”
HML, previously based at Caroline House, Providence Place and Airedale Business Park, consulted employees before moving to Gateway House.
It was agreed that none of the 315 parking spaces would be available to employees who live in Skipton. Instead, they could use a shuttle bus from opposite Ermysted’s Grammar School, on Gargrave Road.
A hundred spaces at Gateway were allocated to car-share and non-residents can park at Gateway for four out of five days.
There are 80 spaces available at Sandylands – from where there is a park-and-ride service – and there are currently 20 people on the waiting list for parking at Gateway.
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