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16
Sept 2021
Beech Grove closure to remain in place, despite petition objecting
Harrogate’s low traffic neighbourhood on Beech Grove will remain in place, despite a 770-signature petition calling for it to be removed being lodged.
Councillors on North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee heard the petition today, which was set up by Harrogate Residents' Association.
It called for the planters, which the county council put in place to encourage walking and cycling, to be removed from both Beech Grove and Lancaster Road junction.
However, councillors voted to keep the scheme in place on the grounds that the council had committed to improving cycling and walking infrastructure in Harrogate town centre.
Read more:
- Council to debate petition to lift Harrogate’s Beech Grove closure
- ‘It’s working well’: Campaigner counts cyclists using Harrogate’s Beech Grove
- Transport leader expects Harrogate’s Beech Grove road closure to be made permanent
Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, said that the measure was a small part of a wider scheme.
He said:
He added that the scheme was “under constant review” and had a maximum term to be in place until August 2022.
‘Lack of consultation’
Anna McIntee and Lucy Gardner, of Harrogate Residents Association, told the committee that the county council had “failed to consult the community” on the scheme.
They added that the council was “reactive and not proactive” when engaging with people.
Mrs McIntee said:
But, Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said that the scheme had “transformed the experience of cycling” in the town and had a benefit for pedestrians, such as dog walkers.
He added that the scheme would become part of a wider cycle network and help connect Otley Road to Victoria Avenue.
Councillors on the committee voted to note the petition, but continue with the experimental scheme until its conclusion next year.
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