James Street will be partly pedestrianised and Station Parade reduced to single lane traffic in updated designs published today for the £10.9m Harrogate Station Gateway project.
The ambitious scheme aims to encourage cycling and walking and make the town centre more attractive. It has led to concerns from businesses about loss of parking and slower traffic, which could deter shoppers.
Today’s proposals, which are based on previous consultation feedback, say full pedestrianisation of James Street received the strongest public support but this had “the potential to significantly delay the delivery of the scheme”, which could jeopardise funding.
“As such, full pedestrianisation is not considered viable at this time.
“We have therefore decided to progress with a part-time pedestrianisation proposal which restricts vehicle access to ‘loading only’ and at limited times.”
It means non-delivery traffic will be prohibited from Princes Square to Station Parade on James Street at all times.
Today’s proposals say the potential to make all of James Street fully pedestrianised in future “would remain an option”.
How the roundabout near the Odeon would look.
Station Parade reduced to single lane
Plans to make Station Parade single lane and create a cycle lane will go ahead as intended.
Improvements to Station Square and the One Arch underpass will be taken forward and the Victoria Monument will remain in its current location after the initial consultation generated a “mixed response” to the idea of relocating it.
Read more:
- First glimpse of how Harrogate will look after £10.9m transformation
- Harrogate businesses call for meeting to discuss £10.9m Station Gateway
Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret a lot of people instinctively didn’t like change but the scheme would make Harrogate town centre a more pleasant place for people to visit using all forms of transport.
He said the advice he’d received suggested peak afternoon travel time on the southbound A61 would be extended by just 53 seconds if the northern section of Station Parade is reduced to single lane.
Cllr Mackenzie said:
“I believe that small increase in travel time is well worth other improvements that will make the gateway area to Harrogate far more attractive.”
An artists’s impression of how the junction of Station Parade and James Street will look.
What is the Station Gateway scheme?
Today marks the start of the latest round of consultation on the the Harrogate scheme, which is one of three projects worth a combined £42m in the pipeline for Harrogate, Skipton and Selby.
They are being delivered in partnership by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Craven District Council and Selby District Council.
The schemes are being funded by the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, which aims to “transform gateways to towns and cities across the region by making it easier to walk, cycle and use public transport”.
Online events will take place from 6pm until 7pm on October 21 and October 28 for the Harrogate scheme.
Members of the project team will be available to discuss the initiative at the Victoria Shopping Centre on October, 29 October and November 5. A business-only meeting is scheduled for November 1.
Following this consultation, which ends on November 12, a final business case will be prepared before approval is sought to deliver the schemes.
It is anticipated that work will begin by mid-2022 and be completed by March 2023.
A video showing the proposed changes is available here.
You can take part in the online consultation here.
