Candidates standing in next week’s Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone by-election have backed proposed new measures to encourage walking and cycling in Harrogate.
North Yorkshire Council is consulting on plans to introduce crossings at the junctions of Slingsby Walk and Oatlands Drive Slingsby Walk and Wetherby Road.
It hopes the move will encourage fewer journeys by car in a part of town densely populated by schoolchildren.
The Stray Ferret asked the five candidates standing in Thursday’s by-election for a seat on North Yorkshire Council for their views on the proposal.
Liberal Democrat candidate Andrew Timothy, who will be defending the seat for the Lib Dems following Pat Marsh’s resignation in February, was the only one not to respond.
The Conservative, Labour, Green and Reform UK candidates all, however, supported the proposal.
John Ennis, who finished runner-up for the Tories when the seat was last contested in 2022, said:
“Having myself campaigned over several years for pedestrian / cyclist crossings at these two points on Slingsby Walk, I very much welcome the fact the council is bringing these proposals forward, and would encourage local residents to respond to the consultation.
“Regarding the council’s reference to possible further traffic changes in the Oatlands Drive area, I am supportive in principle of 20mph, but opposed to any introduction of local one-way systems.”
Labour candidate Geoff Foxall, a former Harrogate borough councillor, said:
“I agree to both of these as necessary safety precautions: for school pupils on Oatlands Drive and residents and school pupils on Wetherby Road. Hopefully, these measures will encourage school pupils to walk or cycle to school rather than be driven there by parents.”
The Slingsby Walk and Wetherby Road junction.
Gilly Charters, who is representing the Green Party, said many residents in the Saints area were worried about child safety and the crossings would address this and support active travel.
She added:
“The local Greens have led the way at North Yorkshire to address speed limits and road safety issues in particular around schools and presented a pilot scheme to Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee which paved the way for campaign groups to get safety measures in place on the roads around schools on the western side of Harrogate.
Reform UK candidate John Swales said he supported the crossings but “with a number of concerns, or reservations”.
He said it wasn’t clear how the pre-consultation was undertaken, and why motorists were not included, or why the cost of the schemes had appeared to increase since they were first mooted.
Mr Swales added:
“Also, I wouldn’t support a 20mph speed limits or junctions being made one-way, without a clear understanding of the benefits and drawbacks.”
The deadline for comments is Sunday, April 14. For more information and to view the plans, click here
Any comments should be emailed to [email protected] using ‘Oatlands Drive/Wetherby Road crossing consultation’ in the email title.
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