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25
Feb 2021
A 'no motor vehicles' sign has gone up on the Stray to stop drivers using the land to avoid the new road closure on Beech Grove in Harrogate.
Harrogate Borough Council granted a request by North Yorkshire County Council, the highways authority, to put up the sign even though it is on Stray land.
Beech Grove closed to through traffic last week but some motorists have been mounting the kerb to avoid the newly-installed planters.
The decision to allow the sign has angered the Stray Defence Association, which was set up in 1933 to prevent building and encroachment on the Stray,
The Harrogate Stray Act 1985 says it is unlawful to erect items on the Stray without the permission of Harrogate Borough Council, which is the protector of the 200 acres of land.
Judy D'Arcy Thompson, chair of the association, said it could pave the way for more signs, which would harm the Stray's appearance. She said:
Ms D'Arcy Thompson said North Yorkshire County Council, which has closed Beech Grove to through traffic for six months on an experimental order, had made a mistake by not consulting adequately on the proposal. She said:
Ms Burnham added the six-month experimental order allowed residents and road users to take part in the ongoing live consultation that is being held in conjunction with the road closure measures. She said:
A Harrogate Borough Council report that recommended approving the sign on the Stray, which was approved on Friday, said:
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