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24
Jun 2025
New highways chief visits Ripon on fact-finding mission
The new man in the highways hotseat at North Yorkshire Council was in Ripon on a fact-finding mission yesterday (Monday).
Conservative councillor Malcolm Taylor, whose brief gives him responsibility for 5,753 miles of roads across the unitary authority's area, came for a guided tour of potholes, patches and cracked surfaces at a range of Ripon locations.
His guides were the Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Jackie Crozier and Councillor Andrew Williams, who is city council leader and a member of the Conservatives and Independents group on North Yorkshire Council.
Cllr Taylor, the newly-appointed executive member for highways and transportation, who has taken over the role from Councillor Keane Duncan, told the Stray Ferret:
I'm here on a fact-finding mission to help me understand current issues with regard to the condition of roads in Ripon.
This will assist when it comes to deciding what is included in the capital works programme, but at this stage there are no guarantees.
A patched-up pothole on Dallamires Lane
The tour began on Dallamires Lane, in the heart of Ripon's industrial area, where there is a mixture of heavy goods vehicles and residential traffic.
Cllr Williams, who pointed out a number of pothole hotspots, said:
Following North Yorkshire Council's extensive resurfacing works that have vastly improved roads around the Market Square and near the bus station, we are turning our attention to other roads in the city that are in a poor condition and are pleased that Cllr Taylor has come to see these for himself.
His visit also provided us with the opportunity to raise concerns about roadside gullies that have not been cleared of debris and pose a potential flooding risk and he has promised action on this.
Councillor Crozier added:
Other areas we looked at are the roundabout at the junction of Mallorie Park Drive and Studley Road, Kirkby Road and the access road to the allotments near Ripon Racecourse.
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