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05
Aug 2022
Ex-Harrogate headteacher welcomes end to 'dangerous' Beech Grove closure
Former Harrogate headteacher Dennis Richards has spoken of his relief at the decision to end the Beech Grove closure.
Mr Richards, who was headteacher at St Aidan's Church of England High School from 1989 to 2012, lives on Victoria Road, close to Beech Grove.
He said closing Beech Grove to through traffic to encourage cycling and walking was well intentioned but had led to a large increase in speeding traffic on Victoria Road.
So he was delighted when North Yorkshire County Council announced yesterday that restrictions on vehicles using Beech Grove and Lancaster Road in Harrogate will end on August 14.
Mr Richards said:
Read more:
- Beech Grove road closure in Harrogate to end in 10 days
- Harrogate traffic to be counted for £11.2m Station Gateway
Being a former headteacher, Mr Richards said he sympathised with the aim of creating a low traffic neighbourhood to improve the environment.
But he said the scheme was "half-baked" because it had the unintended consequence of making the surrounding roads worse.
Victoria Road, he said, was particularly badly affected because the narrow section from Lancaster Road to Otley Road, where Mr Richards lives, doesn't have any speed bumps to slow motorists. He said:
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