How would Harrogate’s ‘Dutch-style’ roundabout work?

Harrogate could get the county’s first ‘Dutch-style’ roundabout as part of the £10.9 million Station Gateway project.

But why is it being proposed and how would it work?

The junction changes have been put forward for the existing East Parade, Station Bridge, Station Avenue and North Park Road roundabout in front of the Odeon cinema.

Inspired by road layouts in the Netherlands, the roundabout would give priority to pedestrians and cyclists with improved crossings and an outer ring for cycling, which in parts would be segregated from traffic.

The aim is to encourage sustainable travel and improve safety for those travelling on foot or by bike. But it would also demand greater awareness from motorists who would give way as they both enter and exit the new roundabout.

‘A big step forward’

North Yorkshire County Council – which is leading on the gateway project – said the proposed layout “balances the need for increased protection and priority for pedestrians and cyclists with maintaining capacity for vehicles”.

The council has also won the support of Harrogate District Cycle Action, whose chairman Kevin Douglas described the proposals as a “big step forward” in the town’s sustainable transport future.

But these roundabouts have not always gone down smoothly elsewhere, with the UK’s first in Cambridge drawing some criticisms.

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While Cambridgeshire County Council says the roundabout has improved safety overall, a safety audit team reported several problems, including a risk of exiting drivers finding it difficult to observe multiple cyclists approaching from behind.

Planners up and down the country are keeping a keen eye on the roundabout, and other areas have already shown an interest in replicating it, including Barnsley and North Tyneside.

Mr Douglas said he was confident the plans for Harrogate would improve safety for all road users and that he would like to see more of these roundabouts introduced.

He said: 

“The roundabout will hopefully show people what can be done in terms of improving safety and will only encourage more people to cycle into the town centre.

“At the moment, going into and coming out of a roundabout can be a risk if people don’t see and give cyclists priority, whereas with this you are going to get that.”

He added: 

“If we are going to take action on climate change then we do have to reduce the number of vehicles in the town centre and give people that confidence to go out on their bikes.

“That is what we should be aiming for here – people being able to get into town safely without using their cars.”

A CYLCOPS junction for Harrogate?

These plans are not the only new roundabout proposals for Harrogate, with transport officials currently considering a CYCLOPS (Cycle Optimised Protected Signals) roundabout for the Station Parade junction of Victoria Avenue.

This is part of a separate active travel scheme and would work similar to a ‘Dutch-style’ roundabout but with traffic lights.

Cyclops active travel scheme

An example of a cyclops junction.

North Yorkshire County Council said the CYCLOPS roundabout was put forward as an “aspiration of what might be achieved” at the junction and that it is now being considered at the detailed design stage of the scheme.

Under the gateway project, there are also plans for a part-time pedestrianisation of James Street and a reduction of Station Parade to a single lane of traffic to create room for a cycle lane, as well improvements to Station Square and the One Arch underpass.

The latest consultation on the project is currently underway with residents and businesses having until November 12 to have their say before more detailed proposals are drawn up and a final decision is made.

If approved, it is anticipated that construction will start in spring 2022 for approximately 12 months.

For more information and to have your say visit the consultation page here.

Harrogate district covid rate stabilises after another 144 infections

The Harrogate district has recorded another 144 coronavirus cases today, according to the latest Public Health England figures.

Although daily cases remain high, Harrogate District Hospital has not reported any further covid patient deaths.

The seven-day rate for the Harrogate district is now 517 per 100,000 people, which is much lower than the peak of 740 on October 16. However, the rate of decline has slowed in recent days.

The district now has the fourth highest rate in North Yorkshire, below Craven, Ryedale and Selby.

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North Yorkshire’s average is 503 per 100,000 and England’s is 450.

The hospital was treating 19 covid patients as of Monday.

It was also announced this week that 12-15 year olds can now book their covid vaccines appointments.

The government’s coronavirus dashboard had not updated the vaccine figures for the Harrogate district today at the time of going to press.

Bilton Cricket Club cancels fireworks display

Bilton Cricket Club has cancelled its annual fireworks display.

The club issued a statement today saying restrictions imposed on the event “would severely impact our ability to operate the event in the way we want to” and it was therefore left with no choice but to cancel.

The event, which is usually held annually at the club’s ground on Bilton Lane, was due to take place on November 5.

Its Facebook post said:

“Over the last few days the club has been under immense pressure to cover off all demands from all authorities regarding the fireworks display planned for next Friday.

“We believed we had covered all areas but further requests and demands have been made which has lead to some restrictions imposed which would severely impact our ability to operate the event in the way we want to, and have done in the past.

“Therefore the committee has made the hard decision to cancel the fireworks display planned for the evening of Friday 5 November.

“This decision has not been made lightly and obviously we would love to provide this event for members and community.

“I am really very very sorry we are cancelling this but without going into too many facts we really have no other option.”

The news comes as bonfire and firework events elsewhere look set to resume after covid forced them to be cancelled last year.

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All Harrogate trains delayed due to fallen tree

Update: National Rail staff have now cleared the tree but there are still some delays on all Harrogate lines this afternoon.

All trains in the Harrogate area are facing delays and cancellations this afternoon after a tree fell in the Starbeck area.

National Rail said it first received reports of an incident at around 2.15pm and expects the disruption to continue until at least 4pm.

Staff from National Rail are on their way to remove the tree but it is unclear how easy the process will be at this time.

Those travelling between Leeds and York will be able to find another route through Micklefield but others may need to wait for road replacement services.

Rail replacement buses are in operation between Harrogate and York:

This is a breaking news story. We will update this page when we get more information. Have you been affected? Send an email to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Harrogate businesses set for crunch talks on £10.9m Station Gateway

Transport chief Don Mackenzie has agreed to meet sceptical Harrogate businesses for crunch talks about the £10.9 million Station Gateway project.

Many firms in Harrogate have deep reservations about the scheme, which aims to make the town centre more attractive and encourage cycling and walking.

Some fear a reduction in parking spaces, the part-pedestrianisation of James Street and potentially a year of major road works would damage businesses already struggling to recover from covid.

One recent survey of businesses, which received 180 responses, revealed 72% were against reducing the A61 from Cheltenham Mount to Station Bridge to a single lane, which is one of the most controversial aspects of the scheme,

Cllr Mackenzie, the executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, which is leading on the scheme, has agreed to take part in a question-and-answer session at Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce’s next monthly meeting at the Cedar Court Hotel on November 8,

Phil Ireland, cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability at Harrogate Borough Council, which also supports the gateway initiative, will also participate.

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Members of the project team will give a presentation before chamber members get the chance to quiz them on issues such as what assessments have been made of the likely impact on the town’s economy.

David Simister, chief executive of the chamber, said:

“Our meeting will hopefully put businesses fully in the picture about the Harrogate Station Gateway Project, and the implications for them and their customers.

“I must stress this is a business meeting and open to our members, those in the Harrogate BID area, as well as members of Independent Harrogate.

Those planning to attend the meeting must register their interest in advance on the chamber website.

What is the Harrogate Station Gateway?

The Harrogate scheme is one of three projects worth a combined £42m in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby funded by the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, which encourages cycling and walking.

They are being delivered in partnership by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Craven District Council and Selby District Council.

A consultation is currently taking place on the revised designs. It is anticipated that work in Harrogate will begin by the middle of next year.

Cycling campaigners stop in Harrogate on 500-mile tour to Glasgow

Nine cyclists arrived in Harrogate last night on the fifth day of their tour from Brighton to Glasgow for the UN climate change conference Cop26.

The cyclists are travelling across the UK ahead of Cop26 to talk to people about what they can do to go green.

The group set off from Loughborough yesterday morning and made it to Harrogate by 5.30pm.

One of the cyclists, Sophie Gordon, said the aim was to make people aware of the small changes they can make that have a big impact.

Travelling with banners and flags, the cyclists have been stopped by people wanting to discuss projects, such as planting trees or driving electric vehicles.

Ms Gordon, from Guildford, said:

“We all felt a bit helpless about the environmental crisis and everything we could see going on around us and we knew we couldn’t miss COP26 since it was so close in Glasgow.

“We just want to inspire people to get involved and make it happen.”

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Last night the group went the The Old Bell, in Harrogate, to host a quiz and talk to people to find out their concerns and see what can be done to tackle them.

Ms Gordon is as an avid cyclist who works for a cycling charity and said she hoped the government would invest more in cycling infrastructure across the UK to combat vehicle emissions.

Harrogate Christmas shop window contest is back

Shops across Harrogate’s town centre are once again set to dazzle shoppers as they take part in this year’s Christmas Shop Window competition.

Harrogate Business Improvement District has partnered with the Rotary Club of Harrogate to organise and judge the annual festive contest.

It aims to promote town centre shops and push the ‘shop local’ message in the run-up to Christmas.

Businesses have until 8am on November 30 to dress up the windows. Shorlisting will take place on December 1 and the winner will be found on December 2.

The judges will be looking for three elements: illumination, innovation and the sprit of Christmas.

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The contest will be restricted to 50 businesses within the BID’s quarters of Kings, Montpellier, Victoria and West Park.

As in previous years there are three separate categories for large, medium and small retailers.

The overall winner will take home a special certificate and a bouquet of flowers.

Harrogate BID chair Sara Ferguson said:

“Last year, despite the restrictions that covid placed on retailers, Harrogate town centre looked fantastic thanks to our Christmas lights and the efforts of not just shops, but hotels, bars, cafes, restaurants and businesses across the whole town. I suspect that this year, town will look even more festive.”

Competition organiser and Rotary Club of Harrogate member, Graham Saunders, added:

“We are pleased that the competition is back to normal. We look forward to judging the shops and sharing in the awards ceremony.”

Which shops last year?

Mama Doreen’s Emporium was the winner in the large shops category, Helen James Flowers won the medium shops category, and Boho Chic, on West Parade, was the winner in the small shops category.

Helen James Flowers took the overall top spot.

‘It could happen to anyone’, says Harrogate woman who had stroke at 37

At just 37-years-old, a Harrogate woman suffered a stroke that left her needing emergency surgery and permanently altered her outlook on life.

Caroline Brady is sharing her story today, on World Stroke Day, in hope of raising awareness that a stroke can happen to anyone, no matter their age.

On January 17, 2020 she was working as a fitness instructor at Harrogate’s David Lloyd gym when she began slurring her speech.

Ms Brady finished teaching her abs class but over the next two hours continued to slur and felt dizzy.

Her colleagues grew concerned and called for an ambulance. The paramedics performed a stroke assessment, which she passed, so she was taken to Harrogate District Hospital for further investigation.

Four hours after the initial signs, Ms Brady lost control of her left side and had a stroke in hospital at 1.30pm.

By 4pm she was in theatre to remove a clot on her brain. She said she remembers “a feeling of urgency” around her but it wasn’t until she came round that she understood what had just happened.

Fresh outlook on life

Since then, Ms Brady has been focused on recovery. She said she was “extremely lucky” to have recovered to the extent that she’s back at work, walking and even running.

She has returned to David Lloyd working part-time as a receptionist, but said her outlook on life has changed.

“It’s been a hard journey back to work. I was very work conscious, always picking up extra hours and covering for people but going back after the stroke I knew I couldn’t do the same.

“So I had a word with myself and said ‘you aren’t weak to slow down’. When you have such a shock at a young age, with no underlying health issues, you can’t help but think differently.”

She no longer teaches gym classes and has been advised to stop weight training but says she is happy just to be walking and occasionally running again.

Ms Brady is enjoying the outdoors again.

Following her experiences, she is determined to raise awareness of strokes and who they can affect.

She added:

“For anyone that knows me it was a huge shock, you never expect to hear ‘I’ve had a stroke’ from a young person. But it can happen to anyone.

“There’s also a misconception that if you have one at a young age you will recover well, but that’s not always the case.”

Ms Brady said she was extremely lucky to be treated so quickly. Other young stroke survivors she’s met were left for hours waiting for a diagnosis by doctors who didn’t diagnose a stroke.

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She is holding a 12-hour charity event at the gym today from 8am to 8pm. Members and staff are walking or running on a treadmill for 30 minutes at a time to raise funds for A Stroke of Luck, a charity that gives stroke survivors access to fitness professionals to help with recovery.

To donate click here.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning and Happy Friday, welcome back to the traffic and travel blog, it’s Leah with you today to help make your journey as smooth as possible.

Keep checking our blog every 30 minutes for full updates on the roads and public transport. I’ll let you know about any delays, traffic hotspots or roadworks.

You can get in touch if you spot anything, and it’s safe, on 01423 276197.

The morning blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

That is it from me this morning, I will be back with you on Monday with regular updates to help keep the district moving.

Roads

Sutton Bank is closed due to an accident. Watch out for Standing water at Plumpton Rocks on the A661.

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Watch out for Standing water at Plumpton Rocks on the A661.

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

 

8am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Watch out for Standing water at Plumpton Rocks on the A661.

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

 

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Watch out for Standing water at Plumpton Rocks on the A661.

Traffic is building here:

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

 

7am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Watch out for Standing water at Plumpton Rocks on the A661.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

 

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

The roads are looking quiet so far this morning, with no hotspots just yet. Watch out for Standing water at Plumpton Rocks on the A661.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

 

Public inquiry threat revealed for James Street pedestrianisation plans

The threat of a public inquiry has been revealed as a reason why plans for a full-time pedestrianisation of one of Harrogate’s busiest shopping streets have been dropped from the £10.9 million Station Gateway project.

North Yorkshire County Council received strong support when it consulted on the idea of removing traffic from James Street.

But it now wants to see only Princes Square to Station Parade pedestrianised, with loading vehicles still allowed to use the street at limited times. This partial pedestrianisation was the least supported option.

Karl Battersby, corporate director of business and environmental services at the council, said this option was being pursued because the authority believes it could face objections which would trigger a public inquiry if a full-time pedestrianisation is progressed.

He said: 

“A traffic regulation order is required to pedestrianise a street.

“In certain circumstances, including where vehicles are excluded at all times, if an order is made and objections are raised that cannot be resolved, a public inquiry could result.

“If that were to happen, it could delay the scheme.”

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Mr Battersby also said a full-time pedestrianisation “remains possible” in the future after the completion of the gateway project, which requires government cash to be spent by March 2023.

He added the council’s preferred option of part-time restrictions would still retain many of the changes to the look of James Street that would be included under a full-time pedestrianisation.

He said: 

“The selected option provides the opportunity to pedestrianise the street at most times of the day, except for a period to allow deliveries, with access controlled through rising bollards.

“This creates the ability to pedestrianise the street at any time of day in future subject to the outcome of a legal order.

“We believe this strikes an appropriate balance between the wishes of respondents and risks to delivery of the scheme.”

Contentious plans

The detailed plans were first revealed in February when residents and businesses were also consulted with.

It is only now – eight months on – that the council has spoken of the potential threat of a public inquiry.

This could be in part due to negative feedback from some business owners and residents, however, the council’s own consultation results show a full-time pedestrianisation would be well supported.

Of the 1,101 respondents to the consultation, 45% were in favour of this option, while 32% said no changes should be made to the layout of James Street.

Meanwhile, just 17% supported a part-time pedestrianisation – the option that the council is now pushing ahead with.

Although James Street has proved to be one of the most contentious parts of the gateway project, it is only a small part of the overall plans.

There are also proposals to reduce Station Parade to a single lane of traffic to create room for a cycle lane, as well improvements to Station Square and the One Arch underpass.

The latest consultation on the entire project is currently underway and residents and businesses have until November 12 to have their say before more detailed proposals are drawn up and a final decision is made.

If approved, it is anticipated that construction will start in spring 2022 for approximately 12 months.

For more information and to have your say, visit the West Yorkshire Combined Authority website.