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11
May
Harrogate residents react to road reopening
A week ago, traffic started flowing again on a road in Harrogate that had been blocked for 18 months.
Bogs Lane and Kingsley Road together form a horseshoe shape off the A59 Knaresborough Road. The bridge where they meet was closed to facilitate one of the many new housing developments in the area.
The route serves thousands of residents and is also used as a rat run or cut through to avoid the A59. Emergency vehicles travel along it when the barrier at Starbeck level crossing is down.
So are residents pleased to see the road fully back in use or did they prefer living in a quieter neighbourhood?
The Stray Ferret talked to residents this week and visited the site to speak to councillor Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley on North Yorkshire Council.
The road closure has ended.
Cllr Aldred said most residents he'd spoken to — particularly those in the new developments — appeared happy to have the full use of the road back.
When we met, a woman who lives in Barratt Homes' Kingsley Meadows passed by and said she often drove to Knaresborough and unblocking the road had saved a lengthy detour.
Claire Mortimer, whose salon The Nail Garden is attached to her home in Kingsley, supported the re-opening. She said:
Kevin Francis agreed, saying he moved to the area in 2019 because of its "great links to other areas", adding:
Daniel Jefferson said the road "provides an important additional link around Starbeck".
He added:
'More speeding cars'
But Nicola Woods is among those who have the opposite view. She said the reopening encouraged speeding motorists with little respect for the many cyclists and horse riders that used the road, adding:
Tim Redshaw said Bogs Lane was an unclassified road that could not sustain the increased volume of traffic. He said:
New footpath
The new footpath
The road re-opening is not the only change. New traffic lights have been installed near the entrance to Redrow's Kingsley Manor development and a footpath has been created alongside it towards Bogs Lane to make walking safer.
Darren Long, whose family lives on Kingsley Road, said he didn't understand why traffic from the Redrow site is now forced to turn right onto Kingsley Road.
Mr Long also called for traffic calming measures on Kingsley Road "as the speed of the traffic on here from some rat runners and residents is absolutely frightening". He added:
The road closed to allow Redrow to work on its Kingsley Manor development.
Cllr Aldred said the new footpath and road surface looked good but the old crumbling footpath across the bridge needed upgrading. He added:
He added he suspected not everyone had realised yet the road had reopened, and the volume of traffic could increase in the weeks ahead.
Read more:
- 18-month Harrogate road closure to end
- Starbucks reveals opening date for new Harrogate drive-through
- Knaresborough pulls together to help flood victims
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