Highway boss’s ‘major concern’ over one-lane traffic option for Station Parade

The highways boss at North Yorkshire County Council has expressed “major concerns” that reducing traffic to one lane outside Harrogate train station could cause long queues on the surrounding streets.

The road changes have been proposed for Station Parade as part of the £7.9m Harrogate Gateway project.  It could also include a ban on cars on James Street with the aim of creating a more pedestrian and cycle friendly entrance to the town.

The project has received a mixed reaction -a petition against it  has raised concerns that reducing road space for cars could be bad for business and lengthen queues – and councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member of access, says himself and other highway officials have their own worries.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee yesterday, he said:

“Whilst we can see huge advantages in creating a very pedestrian and cycle-friendly area in front of the railway station by reducing it to one lane, a major concern, for me personally also, is the effects that this will have on southbound A61 traffic.

“The last thing we want is to cause major hold-ups down down Cheltenham Parade and Ripon Road – and standing traffic with engines ticking over is very bad for air quality.”

A public consultation on the proposals is underway and the council has stressed that no decision on the road changes has yet been taken.

There are two options on the table for Station Parade – leave it as two lanes of traffic or reduce it to one. Meanwhile, the partial or full pedestrianisation of James Street is also being considered, as well as an option to leave it untouched.

Other measures include two new bus priority areas at Lower Station Parade and Cheltenham Parade, junction upgrades, new cycle lanes and storage, as well as an increase in safe space for people on foot, new flexible public events spaces and water features.

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The aim is to make the town more accessible by bike or on foot and while liberal democrat councillor Philip Broadbank, who represents the Starbeck division, said “this is the right way forward,” he also has concerns over the impact on traffic flow.

He told yesterday’s meeting:

“The general direction is one we need to go in if we are going to encourage people to get out of the car for short journeys. But there are all sorts of things in there – some good schemes, some things questionable.

“I have concerns about one lane because of possible congestion and would personally prefer the two lane option.”

Meanwhile, conservative councillor Paul Haslam, who represents the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division, said he believes the longer queue times for motorists would be “minimal” and argued they would be outweighed by the benefits to pedestrians and cyclists.

Councillor Mackenzie added:

“There are major issues here to resolve but certainly views of the public are what we are looking for.

“People don’t like change and I think already we are seeing a fairly strong campaign being mounted in stopping any of these proposals going forward. But for me, I think they are really excellent and I am looking forward to helping drive them forward.”

The consultation will run until 24 March and the aim is to finalise designs for construction to begin by summer 2022 with completion in 2023.

To have your say click here.

Queen Victoria will remain on her plinth in Harrogate

The statue of Queen Victoria that has watched over Harrogate since 1887 is set to remain.

Local historian Malcolm Neesam raised concerns the white marble monument could be moved as part of the £7.9 million Station Gateway project.

The project, funded by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, will radically transform Station Parade, where the statue is located.

A consultation document asks for views on moving the monument, which put the issue on the agenda and prompted Mr Neesam’s concerns.

But at a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee yesterday, councillors put the matter to bed.

Aidan Rayner, Transforming Cities Fund delivery manager at the county council, said the monument was included in initial proposals to get peoples’ views.

However, he added that it will no longer be included in any future consultation and that there was no plans to move it.

He said:

“I can be very clear that it is not required to move it and currently there are no plans to move it as part of these proposals.”

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member of access at the county council, told the committee:

“There is certainly no intention on our part to move the monument. I am very cognisant of Malcolm Neesam’s views on that.”

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Mr Neesam welcomed the news and suggested railings, which were removed from the monument in 1941, should be restored. He said:

“Eighty years after the government encouraged Harrogate to remove the Victoria monument’s decorative railings which marked the site boundary, it really is about time they were restored. Is this too much to ask?”

Richard Ellis inserted several covenants into the deed of gift when he presented the statue to the town, requiring that if any attempt were made to move it, the land should be offered back to the Ellis family.

 

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning and welcome to Friday and our live updates on traffic and travel for the Harrogate district.

Whether you travel by car, bus or train we will keep an eye out for any possible disruption to your journey. All brought to you by The HACS Group.

It’s Connor again back on the travel desk from 6.30am. Spotted an accident or a road closure? Send your updates to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

If traffic is moving well or it’s at a standstill then we will let you know with our updates every 15 minutes.

9am – Full Update 

Thanks for checking out the traffic and travel blog today. Do get in touch if you have any updates for us. I am heading to the newsdesk now so have a good weekend and Suzannah will be back from 6.30am on Monday.

Roads

Traffic hotspots where congestion is busy:

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic hotspots where congestion is busy:

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic hotspots where congestion is busy:

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

8.15am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

7.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

7.15am – Full Update 

Roads

Traffic is building on these roads:

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

6.45am – Full Update 

Roads

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

6.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Be aware of a continuing road closure on Dishforth Road, near Ripon, going both ways from New Road to Strait Lane.

Temporary traffic lights in place:

There are also continuing road closures in the Old Barber and Franklin Road areas of Harrogate.

Trains

Buses

Highways bosses should not ‘shy away’ from sustainable transport, says council leader

The conservative leader of Harrogate Borough Council leader has said highways officials should not “shy away” from transport measures which “make use of the private car more difficult”.

Speaking before a Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee today, Cllr Richard Cooper welcomed measures for more cycle lanes and sustainable transport plans for the town.

Cllr Cooper, who also represents Harrogate central on the county council, told the committee that any opposition to such measures was inevitable.

However, he said the county council, which is the highways authority, should not hide from the public what the measures are intended to do.

He said:

“I think it’s a big job to do in persuading the public that they actually need also to fully get behind the alternative to more roads and congestion.

“That alternative I’m afraid is, and we should not hide it from people, making the use of the private car more difficult. It’s taking away tarmac that is dedicated to private cars and giving it to cyclists, pedestrians and public transport.

“Let’s not shy away from that, that is what we are talking about.”

He added that “there will always be a level of protest” and that council bosses should take those views into account.

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But, Cllr Cooper said the council ultimately had a decision to make which should reflect the authority’s objectives to reduce carbon emissions.

His comments come as North Yorkshire County Council officers will go to detailed consultation on Monday on active travel plans in Harrogate.

The proposals include cycle lanes on Victoria Avenue and on the A59 Maple Close between Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Meanwhile, Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, announced that a controversial plan to make Oatlands Drive one-way would be scrapped.

Instead, the council will consult on proposals for a 20 mile per hour zone on the road.

The county council received £1,011,750 for cycling improvements and outlined three cycle route projects in Harrogate.

Residents welcome decision to drop Oatlands Drive one-way scheme

Residents and councillors have welcomed a move by North Yorkshire County Council to shelve plans for a one-way system on Oatlands Drive.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, confirmed today that the controversial proposal would be scrapped and not included in a detailed consultation from Monday.

It comes as the county council received “overwhelming” opposition after its initial consultation, with 57% of respondents opposed to the plan.

A leaflet campaign was also launched by residents against the scheme which encouraged people to send e-mails to local councillors, media and council officers objecting to the scheme.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access at North Yorkshire County Council.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access at North Yorkshire County Council, announced today that the one-way plan would be dropped.

Cllr Mackenzie told the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee today that a decision was made to drop the plan after a meeting with officers yesterday. He said it became clear that in “most cases” residents were “vehemently opposed” to the proposal.

Anna McIntee, a local resident whose petition calling on the plans to be scrapped attracted more than 1,700 signatures, said she was delighted with the news.

She said:

“I was watching the meeting live and when I heard the news I jumped around and screamed, I am over the moon. It is the right decision.

“This was an absolutely ludicrous idea. However, the fight is not over. We still need to oppose the Station Gateway plans as that would impact a lot of people as well.”

Terry Bramall CBE, who lives on St James Drive, opposed the scheme and was concerned it would lead to extra traffic on his road. He joined a group locally who campaigned against it.
Mr Bramall said:
“I am delighted that it’s been shelved. It was a plan that had not been thought through, particularly with respect to the consequences there would have been on neighbouring estates.
“What we should be seeing is a strategic plan where we have principal thoroughfares that relieve smaller side roads.”

Meanwhile, Cllr John Ennis, who represents Oatlands on the county council, said he had received strong opposition to the plans from residents and that he was “grateful” for the decision to scrap the scheme.

Council bosses will now go to the next stage of consultation on the scheme – which the authority bid £215,000 in government funding for – from Monday. It will include proposals for a 20 mile per hour zone on the road.

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Other measures including improvements to the toucan crossing on York Place, raised speed platforms at crossings at Slingsby Walk and outside St Aidan’s school will also be included.

Traffic filters will also be proposed for St Hilda’s Road and St Winifred’s Road.

However, Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate and District Cycle Action, said he was disappointed that the one-way system had not been kept in the plans.

He said a series of measures were required for the road in order to meet carbon reduction targets.

Mr Douglas said:

“I’m very disappointed it’s not gone through. I don’t know if NYCC will now get the funding.

“I hoped they would consult again on the details for the scheme in a second phase.

“The 20 mph zone is positive, but it depends on how they do it. Will they just put a sign up? It would be really helpful if they would put in traffic calming measures.

“It should be a series of measures, not either/or.

“People have objected and I accept that people have different views from our own. But how are we going to meet our carbon reduction targets without making changes?”

Harrogate council awarded £2.4m to cut carbon emissions

The government has awarded Harrogate Borough Council over £2.4m to cut carbon emissions at the Hydro swimming pool and Harrogate Convention Centre.

The Hydro, which opened in 1999, received £1.8m to replace gas boilers with air source heat pumps, install solar panels on the roof and put in place new energy monitoring and control systems.

A total of £580,000 will be spent on the almost 40-year-old convention centre to convert its lighting to LEDs, install solar panels and heat pumps and introduce variable speed drives to control the fans and pipework insulation.

Air source heat pumps are regarded as an environmentally friendly way to heat buildings. They work by absorbing heat from outside air and pumping it indoors.

The council, which has a goal of being a net-zero carbon economy by 2038, hopes the improvements will cut emissions by 577 tonnes a year at the Hydro and 70 tonnes at the convention centre.

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Kathryn Daly, head of place-shaping and economic growth at the council, said:

“We have ambitious plans to ensure our own operations and buildings will be clean, efficient and have a net zero carbon economy by 2038.

“This government funding provides a significant step to allow us to achieve this.”

The council has awarded a £1.1m contract to Arcadis to design the first phase of a proposed £47 million redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre.

Asked how the redevelopment might affect the new funding, a council spokesman said:

“Arcadis are still working on design plans for the proposed development.

“Should the redevelopment be agreed, and subsequent planning applications submitted and approved, these improvements will no doubt complement the plans.”

The council successfully bid for the funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy‘s public sector decarbonisation scheme.

The scheme has so far awarded £932 million to 429 projects in England and Wales.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust announced in January that it had received £14m from the fund to reduce Harrogate District Hospital’s carbon footprint by 25%.

North Yorkshire County Council also received just under £2m to improve carbon efficiency in its buildings.

Two arrests after attempted theft from vehicle in Harrogate

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses after two suspects attempted to break into a car on a Harrogate street early this morning.

The force said the incident happened at 12.44am this morning on Connaught Court.

Two men have been arrested and remain in police custody whilst enquiries are ongoing.

The police are appealing for witnesses or anyone with CCTV, dash-cam or doorbell camera footage that could have captured something.

Officers are also asking anyone else who believes thieves have broken into their vehicles to get in touch.

Anyone with information can can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, press option two and ask for James Skaith. Or email the officer via james.skaith@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and quote reference number 12210079917.

Read more:

 

Bettys to start reopening from end of the month

Bettys is to start reopening its branches from the end of the month.

The famous Harrogate-based company will re-open its tea house in RHS Harlow Carr for takeaway food and drinks from March 29.

Bettys shops will then open to visitors on April 12, which is the earliest that non-essential shops can re-open under the government’s road map.

All Bettys cafes will then re-open on May 17, except for the Stonegate branch in York, which the company has said is too small for social distancing.

As part of the reopening, Bettys is now accepting bookings for afternoon tea in the Imperial Room in Harrogate and the Belmont Room in York from May 17.

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However, Bettys has warned the dates may change subject to the government’s lockdown rules and road map.

Bettys closed its branches completely in January.

Simon Eyles, Bettys managing director, said at the time:

“Given the severity of the coronavirus pandemic that we are currently witnessing, Bettys has decided to close its Yorkshire branches completely. This means our café tea rooms and now our shops too will be shut until further notice.”

Oatlands Drive one-way plans scrapped

North Yorkshire County Council has today dropped controversial plans to make Oatlands Drive in Harrogate one-way.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, told a Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee that the authority will not pursue the proposal.

Instead, a 20 mile per hour zone will be included in plans from next week.

The one-way proposal proved controversial, with 57% of respondents to an initial county council consultation opposing the proposal.

Cllr Mackenzie told the committee today:

“We decided, and I hope this committee agrees with that decision, that in the overwhelming view of local residents and that of the local elected member, that we should drop that option.

“Therefore, with effect from next Monday when the detailed consultation starts, we will be presenting a detailed design which does not include one-way working.

“It will include, however, a proposal to make the whole area on Oatlands Drive from York Place to Hookstone Road and all the saints residential area a 20 mile per hour zone in order to slow traffic down and bring about an element of safety for walkers and cyclists.”

Cllr Mackenzie added that the council will also look to improve the toucan crossing on York Place, building platforms at crossings at Slingsby Walk and outside St Aidans school.

Traffic filters will also be proposed for St Hilda’s Road and St Winifred’s Road.

Read more:

 

Man charged after police officer struck by car in Harrogate

A 30-year-old man has been charged with three offences after a police officer suffered a fractured kneecap in Harrogate on Tuesday.

The man has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and use of a motor vehicle without third party insurance.

The incident happened at 3.20pm when officers approached a suspicious vehicle in Bewerley Road, Harrogate.

A male police officer underwent surgery and has remained in hospital since the incident.

A 35-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman who were also arrested have been released on conditional bail.

All three people are from Leeds. North Yorkshire Police has not revealed any names.

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