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15
May
Harrogate estate footpath and cycle route finally reopens
A footpath and cycle route in Harrogate, which was closed to the frustration of residents because of a nearby housing development, has finally reopened.
The path, which connected Granby Meadows estate to nearby Skipton Road, was shut in July 2024 despite being regularly used by cyclists, dog walkers and those venturing into town.
The cut-through was closed by Park Lane Homes, which was building seven new dwellings next to the estate. However, at the time, residents told the Stray Ferret that there had been no indication over how long it would be closed for.
The move left hundreds of households with no through access to the Stray. Some pointed to the cut through and connecting cycle path as a key selling point for purchasing their homes.
The Park Lane Homes construction site on the opposite side of the footpath pictured in October 2024.
Now, after nearly two years of closure, the footpath has finally been reopened.
The path connects onto a 1.5-mile cycle route to the Kingsley area, which helps residents on the new build estate, constructed by Redrow Homes, and other residential nearby areas get to the town centre.
Pictures have been shared with the Stray Ferret showing cyclists using the path after it reopened.
The cycleway which connects to the cut through on Manners Close.
We asked Park Lane Homes, which owns the land that facilitated the footpath, why the closure had lasted so long.
James Clink, land and sales director at the company, said the footpath had remained shut to the public due to construction works at the site.
He added that the firm had hoped to partially reopen the path earlier this year, but this was not possible due to adverse weather.
Mr Clink said:
We had initially hoped to partially reopen the route earlier this year once the majority of the heavy machinery had left site, with temporary fencing remaining in place while finishing works continued.
Unfortunately, the prolonged periods of heavy and persistent rainfall experienced from late November through to late February caused significant delays to the completion of the final works. As a result, we concluded that the most practical and safest approach was to keep the link fully closed temporarily so the remaining works could be completed as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Mr Clink added that the move helped to avoid “repeated short-term closures” during the final stages of construction, which included landscaping works, planing operations and recent resurfacing and tarmac works.
He said:
The route has now been fully reopened as soon as it was safe and practical to do so, and we are pleased that residents of Granby Meadows can now enjoy the full use and benefit of the footpath and cycle link.
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