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16
Feb
10-day road closure to affect Harrogate street
Ten days of road closures will begin on King Edward’s Drive in the Bilton area of Harrogate this week.
North Yorkshire Council will close the road daily between 9.30am and 3.30pm, starting on Thursday (February 20) to enable the footpath to be resurfaced.
The bus stops on King Edward’s Drive will be suspended throughout the work and relocated to Woodfield Road, by the Albany Road cut-through.
Work will be carried out in two phases. The first five-day phase will see the section from the A59 Skipton Road to Rawson Street closed, while Rawson Street to Bilton Lane will remain open.
The second five-day phase will require the closure of the section from Rawson Street to Bilton Lane. The section of King Edward’s Drive from Rawson Street to the A59 Skipton Road will reopen during this period.
A council notice informing reisdents and businesses of the work says the work is “part of an extensive programme and therefore some adjustments to this start date or the duration of the works may be necessary”.
The parade of shops on King Edward's Drive.
Postmaster Andrew Hart, whose Post Office and shop The Red Box is one of the businesses on King Edward’s Drive, raised concerns about the impact of work on local traders with the Stray Ferret and Councillor Paul Haslam, an independent on North Yorkshire Council who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge.
He subsequently met a council official, who he said was “fully accommodating” of concerns and signs will be put up advertising businesses are open as usual.
He said:
The council are now doing a ‘soft closure’ of King Edward’s Drive and allowing all business traffic access. They will put signs up declaring this.
Mr Hart added the council had agreed to take down the redundant bus stop and possibly the shelter too, which he said would help businesses enormously by dispersing drugs activity.
He said these actions would not have happened had he not raised concerns with the Stray Ferret and Cllr Haslam.
Traffic staff on site
Melisa Burnham, the council’s highways area manager, said last week it was a priority to ensure trading was not hindered by the works, which is why work will be carried out in two phases.
Ms Burnham added:
Businesses and residents in the area were informed by letters sent out on Monday (February 10) for works to begin on Thursday, February 20, and there are plenty of signs on site.
Our senior engineer is speaking to businesses this week to offer assurances and address any specific requirements they have. Additionally, for the duration of the closure, four traffic management ambassadors will be on site from 9.30am to 3.30pm to assist pedestrians and customers as needed.
Please note, we will not be working on the footpath directly in front of the shops, as it is not highway land. Our resurfacing will be limited to the area between the channel drain and the carriageway.
Anyone with concerns or questions about the works is asked to contact our highways teams via area6.boroughbridge@northyorks.gov.uk
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