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10
Aug
Cost increase and new delay announced for Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue
The cost of the pedestrian improvement scheme on Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue has increased and the completion date has been pushed back again.
North Yorkshire Council announced yesterday (August 10) that additional funding had been “identified which will allow us to resurface the road in its entirety”. It is not clear how much of the road was previously due to be resurfaced.
The council added the resurfacing work will begin tonight and take place between 7pm and midnight.
Work on Victoria Avenue began on March 17 and was due to last 17 weeks, which meant a finishing date of July 14.
But days before then Karl Battersby, the council’s corporate director for environment, told the Stray Ferret the completion had been delayed until “early August”.
The Stray Ferret approached the council on Wednesday for an update after noticing that deadline appeared unlikely to be met.
The council did not reply but posted on social media yesterday:
The works on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate, which started on 17 March were anticipated to last 17 weeks. However, this has extended for a further three weeks so that we can increase the scope of the works.
Additional funding has also been identified which will allow us to resurface the road in its entirety. The resurfacing work will start on 11 August between 7pm and midnight.
Work was due to be completed by July 14.
Victoria Avenue, which is Harrogate’s widest street, was identified as a key part of a connected cycle route from the town’s bus and train stations to Cardale Park off Otley Road, where thousands of new homes are being built.
But although designs were drawn up, those plans collapsed due to lack of funds and instead the council spent the money on a £700,000 pedestrian scheme. The extra cost has not been revealed.
It is the latest council project to be beset by delays and cost increases. The cost of the Harrogate Station Gateway has risen from £7.9 million in 2021 to £14.6 million, even though the project has been ‘de-scoped’.
The budget for the realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill, between Harrogate and Skipton, rose by £13.7 million from £68.8 million to £82.5 million in May this year. This was partly due to compensation claims by contracts Sisk for the late start of the scheme, which is a year behind schedule.
What is being done on Victoria Avenue?
In March, the council said the following work would be carried out:
• Traffic signals upgrades including replacing all existing infrastructure and adding new signalised crossing points at junctions with West Park and Station Parade.
• Building out footways at West Park junction to make prohibited straight-ahead movement from Beech Grove more difficult.
• A new bus-stop near the West Park United Reformed Church.
• Installation of new block paving at drive crossings to make a continuous footway.
• Installation of new tactile crossing at side roads.
• Relocation of ticket machines from centre of carriageway to edges.
• Installation of new decorative footway lighting.
• Improvements to existing zebra crossing.
• Repairs to flagged paving as required.
• Resurfacing to carriageway.
• New benches and bins.
• Changes to signage, lining and drainage as required.
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