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13
Aug
Traffic orders published for new pedestrian and cycle crossings in Harrogate
Traffic Regulation Orders have been published for two new pedestrian and cyclist crossings in Harrogate.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive approved a £230,000 road safety package last October, which included plans for the county’s first tiger crossing on Oatlands Drive and a toucan crossing on Wetherby Road.
Both would help cyclists and pedestrians navigate busy junctions with Slingsby Walk.
Tiger crossings, also known as parallel crossings, consist of a zebra crossing with segregated zones for cyclists and pedestrians. They are named after similar crossings in Hong Kong that were painted yellow and black.
A council report at the time also announced plans to install double yellow lines and a speed reduction on Oatlands Drive, but these measures do not appear to have progressed so far.
The orders for the crossings have now been uploaded on the Tory-run council's website. People have until August 29 to comment.
The Wetherby Road crossing will be installed at the Slingsby Walk junction here.
A layout of the plans on Wetherby Road.
The Wetherby Road notice says the toucan crossing will encourage active travel as well as reduce congestion and car dependency. It will also address residents' concerns about the current crossing.
The Oatlands Drive notice says the council plans to install a “parallel pedestrian and cycle crossing at the junction of Oatlands Drive and Slingsby Walk”.
It adds: "This measure is considered necessary to avoid danger to persons using the road, to facilitate the passage of pedestrians and cyclists, and to improve the amenities of the area."
A layout of the plans for a crossing on Oatlands Drive.
Expressions of support
According to last year’s report, the Oatlands Drive plans receievd 120 comments of support and 43 objections.
120 people also supported the Wetherby Road crossing, compared to 47 objectors.
Among objectors at the time was the Stray Defence Association, which works to protect the Stray from encroachment.
It “expressed the view that the crossing updates were not needed, along with being opposed to Stray land being enclosed for this purpose”, the report said.
It added St Aidan’s Church of England High School was ‘broadly supportive’ of the proposals but St John Fisher Catholic High School did not respond to the consultation.
The crossings require the loss of Stray land and therefore the council had to dedicate land to the Duchy of Lancaster, which owns the freehold of the Stray, in exchange before work can commence.
Grass land on Hookstone Drive has been earmarked for this purpose, the report said.
The Stray Ferret has contacted North Yorkshire Council for an updated cost of the overall project and a breakdown of how much each scheme will cost the taxpayer.
We also asked when work is likely to begin.
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