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Nov 2022

Last Updated: 09/11/2022

Environment

Kingsley developers open safe route for walkers and cyclists

by John Plummer

| 09 Nov, 2022

Housing developer Redrow agrees to provide a route on Kingsley Road for walkers and cyclists while a section of the road is closed to traffic.

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A safe route is to be kept open for walkers and cyclists during work to build 133 houses in Harrogate.

Kingsley Road closed on Monday beyond the junction with Kingsley Drive up to the bridge leading to Bogs Lane for up to six months.

It means people travelling along Kingsley Road will be unable to get to Bogs Lane without a lengthy 1.4-mile detour on to the main A59 Knaresborough Road.

Although most people understood the need to close the road to traffic, some residents questioned the need to also close the route to pedestrians and cyclists, who use it to get to the bridge going down to the shared off-road walking and cycling route to Bilton.

Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley on North Yorkshire County Council, said last month he would ask developer Redrow to maintain access for cyclists and walkers.

Cllr Aldred said today:

"I am delighted to be able to inform residents that Redrow have agreed to maintain a safe route at the side of the works specifically for pedestrians and cyclists.

He said people on bike or foot could follow the footpath on the side of the Barratt estate and then use a passageway to avoid a lengthy detour.

Cllr Aldred added:

"The very amenable Redrow contracts manager has assured me they will try to preserve this walkway, whenever possible during the works.

"Obviously there will be certain days when they will need to dig across the entire road and this walkway will then not be available for the public to use, for safety reasons, but I have an assurance that Redrow will try to keep this to a minimum.

"I do believe this is a very sensible and more importantly, workable solution to this issue, whilst the work is going on and thank Redrow very much indeed for their efforts to enable this to happen."

Kingsley residents suffering construction dust call on council to tackle developers

Housing developer 'doesn't anticipate' Kingsley road closure will last six months

Jenny Mills, who lives in the area and had criticised previous plans to seal off the route to everyone, said:

"It’s a positive outcome for local residents who have already suffered enough at the hands of the new-build developments in the area.

"I think I can speak on behalf of everyone who lives in the Kingsley estate when I say that we have had enough of the constant disruption and inconvenience.

"We would like to see an end to the seemingly never ending developments. We are aware that the council have already exceeded their targets on new houses and enough has to be enough."

A Redrow spokeswoman confirmed it would keep the pedestrian and cycling route open "as much as possible".

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Kingsley developers open safe route for walkers and cyclists

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