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22
Jun
Where has Knaresborough’s promised second railway station gone?
Philip Allott is a businessman and politician who attended King James's School in Knaresborough and still lives in the town. He was leader of the Conservatives on Harrogate Borough Council, is a former Mayor of Knaresborough, and also served as the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire.
Although Knaresborough has a world-class scenic viaduct, the town has not been very lucky when it comes to railway infrastructure.
Knaresborough had the opportunity in the early 1820s to have the first commercial railway in the world, but the town's larger businesses, predominantly the linen mills, thought the cost of £3,000 a mile was expensive and that the idea would never catch on.
Ultimately, the Knaresborough railway scheme failed to attract financial support, resulting in the first line being built between Darlington and Stockton.
Matters were compounded because when the railway eventually arrived in Knaresborough, in March 1848, the first viaduct collapsed and a temporary station at Hay-a-Park Lane had to be put in place.
The promise of the 1980s
Fast forward to the 1980s, when I and my fellow Harrogate Borough councillors put party politics aside and all parties agreed to proceed and fund Hornbeam Park – on the strict understanding that there would be a second station in Knaresborough East.
The cost of Hornbeam Park was a mere £413,000, funded by a consortium of organisations including Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, and it was opened in 1992 by the then district mayor. So why is Knaresborough's second railway station still stuck in the long grass?
Hornbeam Park railway station.
The Knaresborough Manse Farm railway station should have been built by 2010, but as usual, a lack of focus, an inability to hold developers to account, and bureaucracy have let the project drift and there is currently no definitive timetable. The last public document available, which was issued by the defunct North Yorkshire County Council in 2013, states:
Provision of a station to the east of Knaresborough has been a long-term aim of the council and a site is currently allocated in the Harrogate District Local Plan (2001) to the west of Manse Farm on an embankment and in a location with limited space to provide facilities such as car parking.
A strong business case
The council did undertake background work for the sites, and the business case for providing a new rail station and car park as part of the draft allocation for a mixed-use urban extension at Manse Farm, Knaresborough further to the east. Helpfully, the Leeds - Harrogate - York railway line forms part of the site’s northern boundary. The report goes on to say:
The line is recognised as a regionally significant transport link within the Leeds City Region and North Yorkshire, facilitating access to labour markets in Leeds, Harrogate and York, as well as providing connectivity with regional and intercity services at York and Leeds.
A new station at Manse Farm could therefore make a contribution to sustainable development in this location.
It's time to deliver
It is therefore frustrating to find that the successor North Yorkshire Council is back at the start and is working on developing a Town Investment Plan for Knaresborough as part of a regeneration programme. It claims the plans will help guide future funding bids by ensuring they are targeted to local priorities. According to the council, it will prioritise improving transport and connectivity and driving economic growth through tourism, culture and local businesses.
Meanwhile, the elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, has £112 million in York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority funding for major schemes.
Mayor David Skaith.
According to the authority's website:
Transport is the largest contributor to carbon emissions in the region. A shift towards zero-emissions transport and better digital connectivity is essential to achieving net-zero goals.
Reducing reliance on private cars, especially in rural areas, and promoting sustainable transport options will help reduce the carbon footprint.
No-brainer
I am told that the cost of building Hornbeam Park in 2026 would be less than a million pounds based on the Bank of England’s inflation calculator, so come on David, show your willingness to support Knaresborough’s second station.
If the Labour mayor is serious about cutting carbon emissions, it is time for him to show leadership and work with all parties on North Yorkshire Council for the greater good and get the station built.
Spending less than a million to allow people to work or shop in Harrogate, Leeds or York is a no-brainer.
So come on David Skaith, put your hand into your funding pot for Knaresborough’s second station!
If you feel strongly, why not have your say and email David Skaith on his public email: mayor@yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk.
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