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02
Oct 2020
County council postpones James Street pedestrianisation
North Yorkshire County Council has decided to postpone a temporary pedestrianisation of James Street in Harrogate.
In an email to businesses, David Bowe, director of business and environmental services at the county council, said the authority will not pedestrianise the street before Christmas.
It comes as the authority had planned a trial pedestrianisation which would have blocked off the street to cars for up to six months.
Read more:
- James Street pedestrianisation ‘timely and appropriate’, says council
- Hoopers store warns: ‘Harrogate is not bulletproof anymore’
- Two thirds of James Street businesses against full pedestrianisation, says BID
Business managers, landlords, Harrogate BID and Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce met virtually with the the council earlier this week where some raised concerns over the issue. They said the timing was poor, as the run-up to Christmas will be particularly vital for them this year after losing trade through lockdown for several months.
Now, Mr Bowe has told traders that their concerns were heard “loud and clear”.
He said in an email:
The temporary closure of the street to traffic was requested by Harrogate Borough Council for "social distancing and safety purposes". Cllr Don Mackenzie, NYCC's executive member for highways, backed a temporary, partial pedestrianisation, saying such moves had proved popular with residents and businesses elsewhere in the country.
However, landlords and businesses on the street continued to voice concerns about the potential impact on trade.
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