A Boroughbridge resident has called on North Yorkshire Council to make “urgent” improvements to a local road.
The man, who wished to remain anonymous, lives on Roecliffe Lane and told the Stray Ferret he has spent the last year campaigning to have the road resurfaced.
He said he and other local residents have issued “over a decade of complaints” to the council to resurface the road, as well as requested traffic-calming measures to make it safer, but are yet to see anything come to fruition.
Following a recent petition organised by the man and signed by Roecliffe Lane residents, he said the same recurring issues became “abundantly clear”:
“Several residents’ houses along the road shake whenever HGVs, buses, and often even cars, drive over the potholes next to them.
“This is our personal number-one issue and has at times caused deep regret moving to the street.
“We have had to endure over a year of it so far since moving in, our bed shaking most mornings when HGVs start driving the road in the early hours, doors juddering in frames, our baby’s rooms’ wardrobe rattling, the timber frame of the house creaking and more.
“Even people that visit notice, because the kitchen floor vibrates and the glasses in the cupboard clink. The council have been made aware of this multiple times.
“Several residents also commented about needing to repair their vehicles and bicycles from broken suspension and burst tyres. An elderly lady I spoke to had also fallen off her bike from a pothole.”
The noise from traffic can also be alarmingly loud and frequent, and speeding is a big issue along the road, he added.
The road was in ‘poor’ condition back in 2013. Pic: fixmystreet.
Now, he is proposing a “resident-first rethink”. He said:
“What worked for it when it was originally built is clearly not working for its residents now with increased housing, traffic and HGVs.
“It needs resurfacing urgently. It needs traffic-calming measures putting in place to reduce the thousands of noisy vehicles per day, and mitigations for the frequent HGVs.”
He also suggested the council implement new speeding enforcements to “protect the residents and their children from the up-to-81mph speeding vehicles.”
Roecliffe Lane in 2023.
‘Resurfacing is in our programme’
In response to the concerns raised, Melissa Burnham, highways area manager for North Yorkshire Council, told the Stray Ferret:
“Resurfacing of Roecliffe Lane is included in our programme for 2024/25. Once dates are confirmed, we will ensure the local community are aware.
“The local Highways team are also aware of the concerns raised and are liaising with North Yorkshire Police regarding enforcement.”
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Lidl scraps plan to open Ripon retail park store
Discount retailer Lidl will no longer be opening a supermarket on St Michael’s Retail Park in Ripon, the Stray Ferret understands.
The news comes more than two years after the company was granted planning permission for the site in September 2021.
The Stray Ferret understands the German retailer’s contract expired following ongoing delays in the project. However, it remains keen to open a store in the city.
At the time of approval, Lidl said the Ripon supermarket would create up to 40 jobs and have a sales area of 1,100 sqm.
The store would have taken over the three empty units at the Rotary Way retail park.
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However, Lidl is searching for new site locations across the UK, with Harrogate and Ripon both featuring in its list of priority locations published last autumn.
The company said it requires “prominent locations with easy access” and “strong pedestrian or traffic flow”. Town centres, the edge of town centres or retail parks are also a site requirement, it added.
On the subject of opening more stores, Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB CEO, said in April last year:
“The last few years have been challenging for everyone, but we’ve made it clear that we’re more committed than ever to ensuring that every single household has access to a Lidl store.
“That’s why our focus is firmly on the future as we continue to grow and invest in our infrastructure, while keeping a lookout for more sites and locations across the country.”
The search for sites comes as part of Lidl’s plan to open more than 1,100 new stores across the UK.
The supermarket chain already operates store in Harrogate and Knaresborough.
Person suffers leg injury following Bishop Thornton crashA person was injured following a crash near Bishop Thornton this morning.
A witness told the Stray Ferret the collision happened at a crossroads on Fountains Road near the village.
North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue incident log said the collision happened at 10:12am. It said:
“Both Harrogate crews responded to a road traffic collision involving two vehicles.
“All casualties were out on arrival when fire crews arrived.”
The service added that crews helped with “scene safety” and causalities were transported to hospital in an ambulance.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said the injured person suffered a “possible broken leg”.
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Northern launches £1 Harrogate line train tickets in flash sale
Train operator Northern has announced a flash sale of £1 tickets from Harrogate and Knaresborough to Leeds and York.
Five million tickets are on sale and people have until 4pm tomorrow (January 5) to purchase.
The tickets are valid for travel between Wednesday, January 10, and Friday, March 1, 2024 ,and must be booked at least seven days in advance of travel.
Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said:
“The ‘Flash Sale’ extends to every corner of our network, with £1 tickets up for grabs for both local and longer, cross-country journeys.
“We hope the ‘Flash Sale’ will inspire people to get out and about across the region, for those moments that matter most – days out with the family, catch-ups with friends or for no reason other than to enjoy the beautiful countryside and coastlines our region has to offer.
“As always, customers should book early to avoid disappointment. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.”
People can buy the tickets online, on Northern’s website or its app.
Destinations along the Leeds line eligible for the discount are:
Bradford Forster Square, Carlisle, Chester, Doncaster, Halifax, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Ilkley, Knaresborough, Knottingley, Lancaster, Manchester Victoria, Morecambe, Nottingham, Selby, Sheffield, Skipton and York.
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Government rejects 5G mast plan in Harrogate
The government has rejected a bid to install a new 5G mast in Harrogate.
CK Hutchison Networks (UK) Ltd, which operates Three Mobile, proposed installing the mast on Park Parade.
It submitted the plan to the former Harrogate Borough Council in November 2022.
The developer said the proposal would help to “improved network coverage and capacity” in the area.
However, the council rejected the plan on the grounds it would be detrimental to the visual amenity of the site.
The telecommunications company took the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate and challenged the refusal.
However, in a decision notice, Mr N Teasdale, a planning inspector, rejected the appeal.
He said the proposal on balance would fail to enhance the character of the area and that the company had not demonstrated that the site was the only viable option for the mast.
He said:
“On the basis of the evidence in front of me and my own observations on site, I have found that the proposed development would fail to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the conservation area.
“It has not been demonstrated that the appeal site represents the only viable option.
“Therefore, notwithstanding the need to upgrade the network and assist the government’s digital connectivity vision along with the associated benefits, the harm that would arise from the siting and appearance of the development would not be outweighed by the overall need in this location.”
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- Telecommunications firm appeals Harrogate 5G mast refusal
- Government rejects plan for 20-metre 5G mast overlooking the Stray
The decision is the latest refusal for a 5G mast installation in Harrogate.
In September 2023, a government planning inspector rejected a bid to erect a 20-metre high 5G mast overlooking the Stray.
The proposal was also submitted by CK Hutchison Networks (UK) Ltd.
The inspector acknowledged the mast would boost poor 5G coverage in Harrogate but ruled it would also be “a conspicuous and intrusive feature in the surrounding area”.