BUSINESSES in Ilkley are being urged to collect evidence on the impacts of the parking changes in the town when they come into force on July 29.

Ilkley BID Ltd, which operates the Business Improvement District in Ilkley, is appealing to local businesses to confidentially share business data with them. Any data illustrating the effect that the changes are having on their businesses over the next few months is required. This may be trading data, percentage changes over a period or any other factual information specific to them, for example genuine issues experienced by staff.

During the consultation phase of the BID, parking was consistently raised by local businesses and retailers as one of their major concerns. Victoria Kemp from Nora’s Interiors and Gifts which is based on The Grove, said: “We respect Bradford Council’s decision to implement the changes to parking within Ilkley, however, we are very apprehensive about the long term impact it will have on the town. We can only hope our loyal local customers will continue to support all the wonderful retailers on their doorstep and we also hope visitors are not put off from coming to Ilkley due to the changes.”

Helen Rhodes, Ilkley BID Manager, said: “We understand the apprehension shared by our local businesses and will be aiming to monitor the impact the new parking scheme will have on them individually and on Ilkley as a town. We are requesting this information as we need more than anecdotal evidence; of course any data we do receive will be treated on a strictly confidential basis. The BID can only influence the future review of the new scheme if we have real evidence of it’s impact and I hope that some of the many businesses who were unhappy about the changes will now take action and get involved to provide this information. The BID will need to collect data throughout the five years it will be in existence, to see how the town develops in terms of visitors numbers etc so this will be a starting point”

Businesses affected by the parking changes will shortly be receiving a letter from Bradford Council inviting them to apply for special permits for staff. Businesses can email: info@ilkleybid.co.uk to discuss how they can help.