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.
10
Feb
Roadworks chaos returns to Harrogate
Long delays in Harrogate town centre today (February 10) have reignited calls for roadworks to be coordinated better.
Three-way lights at the Prince of Wales roundabout led to queues on Otley Road, Leeds Road and York Place. Traffic backed up all along Station Parade as motorists reported taking 30 minutes to travel a quarter-of-a-mile.
The junction of York Place and Station Parade was a particular pinch point.
A £150,000 scheme to create a new crossing on Oatlands Drive also got underway today, less than a mile away.
A resident on Wheatlands Road East, just off Oatlands Drive, said:
“It was just chaos. I understand we have to have roadworks but they must be coordinated better.”
The Prince of Wales roundabout today.
To add to the confusion, the digital road management platform Causeway one.network gave different information about the Prince of Wales roadworks to that distributed by North Yorkshire Council.
The former indicated York Place roadworks would start today and last until March 7 while the latter said work would run from February 5 to 19.
The Stray Ferret today contacted Northern Powergrid to confirm the arrangements. It said the work was part of a £20 million project to upgrade Harrogate’s electricity network and “this phase of the project is scheduled for completion by the end of February 2026”.
Councillor Paula Stott, a Liberal Democrat who represents central ward on Harrogate Town Council, said it had received “out of date” information about the roadworks.
She added:
“I therefore think it would be very helpful to have a better, more accurate, information flow from North Yorkshire Council,”
Cllr Stott added she lived in central Harrogate and understood motorists’ frustrations, but added:
We are also very aware that repairs and upgrades of certain systems and infrastructure need to take place. At times these overlap, which is where problems seem to arise. These problems are compounded when information and communication systems feel to be somewhat lacking, which is then another point of frustration.
As a council we have already established a practice of key organisations and stakeholders in Harrogate being invited to informal briefing and discussions with councillors. This practice has already been very beneficial on both sides. We will be getting in touch with Melisa Burnham, North Yorkshire Council’s area highways manager, to invite her to one of these meetings. Amongst other things, we will be focussing on ways to improve communications, both timing and content.
The junction of York Place and Station Parade.
We also asked Cllr Sam Gibbs, a Conservative who represents Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate on North Yorkshire Council, if he had any concerns about the way the roadworks have been managed but we have not received a response.
We have also approached North Yorkshire Council for comment.
2