It won’t be cheap to park at York’s new stadium if plans are given the green light.
Fans may be charged £10 to park there on match days. And shoppers will be limited to two hours’ free parking.
Transport plans say people will be expected to use Monks Cross Park&Ride, next door to the new complex, when they are driving to the ground to watch a football or rugby game.
And City of York Council is now planning to put the price of the car park up from £5 to £10 for motorists who walk away from their vehicle without getting on the bus to town.
Plans for the stadium show that parking for fans driving to a match will be on the Park&Ride and, on match days, all free parking at the neighbouring Vangarde Shopping Park will be limited to two hours.
New barriers
He added:
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The fee for parking without using the bus will be £10 – this is, of course, to encourage people not only to use the Park&Ride bus to get into York but also to use it to get from the city to the stadium and back on match days.
There are plans to enhance the (already frequent) service on busy days.
I understand that some parking spaces will be available for both York City and York City Knights season ticket holders, but the emphasis is very much on the use of public transport.
Planning documents say on match days 400 spaces will be available for visitors to the 8,000-capacity stadium, with 447 remaining for the Park&Ride facility. There will also be a coach drop-off point, disabled parking and bicycle spaces.
A spokesman for York City Football Club said:
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Although we have no control over car parking charges at the Park&Ride at Monks Cross, we do hope that the City of York Council will take into account the needs of York City supporters and York City Knights supporters and help us provide an affordable and enjoyable matchday experience.
Shopper restrictions
Visitors to the shopping park can usually park for up to four hours for free between 9am and 6pm.
But on match days, parking will be restricted to two hours for anyone who visits between 12pm and 4pm on a weekend, or between 5pm and 9pm on weekday evenings.
The site has room for more than 1,300 cars and upon entry an electronic sign registers a vehicle’s number plate and says when parking will expire.
Planning documents say the 268-space south car park can be used by visitors using the cinema, restaurants and other facilities at the stadium on days when there is a game – but they will only be allowed to stay for up to two hours.
Fan experience important
A transport plan for the stadium says: “In addition to the parking provision on site, additional match day parking requirements will be accommodated through the use of spare capacity at other locations within the city of York, including city centre car parks or other Park&Ride sites.
“Dedicated shuttle buses to the new stadium from the city centre will be provided on match days, retaining links with the city centre through use of sustainable modes of travel.”
If approved, the proposed 100 per cent price increase will come into force on April 1.
YorkMix revealed last week that the Community Stadium has been hit by further delays and will not be ready for the start of York City’s 2019-20 campaign or for any of the Knights matches this season.