Subscribe to trusted local news
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
06
Aug
Harrogate Station Gateway ruling 'vindicates' council, says transport chief
North Yorkshire Council has welcomed a High Court ruling over the Harrogate Station Gateway as a “vindication” over the process it followed.
The Get Away group, which was formed by Harrogate businesses that oppose the project, claimed the authority failed to consider the wider impacts of the multi-million pound project.
But a High Court judge ruled in the council’s favour yesterday on all grounds, which paves the way for the transformation of Station Parade, Station Square and the One Arch pedestrian tunnel.
In a statement today, Cllr Malcolm Taylor, executive councillor for highways at the authority, said:
After many months of uncertainty, we welcome the court’s clear and unequivocal ruling in favour of the council on all five grounds.
This decision not only vindicates the thorough and transparent process we followed, but also allows us to move forward with confidence.
In its statement, the council said the judgement stated that “the points made by the applicant here are bad ones”, and “the fact that the applicant does not agree with them (the plans) and does not like the fact that its arguments were not accepted, does not make the reasons inadequate in law”.
The council confirmed that following the High Court ruling a final report on the scheme will go before the authority’s executive in October.
The scheme includes the redevelopment of One Arch and Station Square, improved traffic signals, a bus lane, a southbound cycle lane on Station Parade, new paving for pedestrians and cycle parking at Harrogate Railway Station.
There will also be improvements to traffic signals on the A61 at the junctions of King's Road and Ripon Road, and King's Road and Cheltenham Parade.
Station Parade and Station Square are at the heart of the scheme.
Traffic Regulation Orders
The nature of the dispute between lawyers from the Get Away group and North Yorkshire Council during the hearing centred around the introduction of four Traffic Regulation Orders in central Harrogate.
Get Away said the orders were made irrationally and were effectively implementing part of the gateway scheme without any final decision being made.
But, the council argued the orders had not implemented anything and were merely facilitating what would become the gateway scheme, should it be given the go-ahead at a later date.
Meanwhile, the judgement comes as the cost for the Station Gateway project has soared.
As previously reported by the Stray Ferret, North Yorkshire Council secured a further £2 million from York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which is overseen by Labour mayor David Skaith, for the scheme.
It takes the cost of the project, which has been hailed as the biggest transformation of Harrogate town centre for 30 years, to £14.6 million. It was originally forecast to cost £7.9 million.
1