Readers' Letters: New housing to blame for roadworks, better planning needed

Readers’ Letters is a free weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

This week, readers gave their views on the new crop of roadworks that have sprung up in Harrogate:

"After unprecedented housing growth in the area bringing London levels of traffic, we are now seeing the penalty of providing services to the new homes with all the extra lights and roadworks going on. It was always a bit chaotic, but never on this scale, and some work was done during the nighttime to minimise the disruption."

Quintin-Gayle Morris

"There will always be emergency work which needs tackled at once and this can't be predicted or planned for. However, it is the scheduled work and infrastructure upgrades that cause all the pain because there is no long-term cohesive plan among all the agencies involved. Legislation doesn't really provide a solution because whilst it's easy to point the finger at NYC as the custodians of our highways, they are only doing what the government mandates them to do.

"There is no mistaking that the current set-up is fundamentally broken and that roadworks are a total blight on many people's lives, so there is a real need for a central agency that can tackle this and has the power to say no to works that are going to conflict with other works etc."

Alan Huddart

"It also takes drivers to modify their behaviour and drive with more awareness, working with the problems. Not block junctions, looking ahead and giving way to allow it to flow better. I've seen some really poor, arrogant and selfish displays recently."

Richard Abbott

"Readers also joined in the speculation as the causes of the walkway collapsing into the River Nidd at the foot of the railway viaduct.

"What 'safety questions' does it raise? Perhaps all riverside pathways should be shut during the 'rainy season' just in case there is a collapse! Hindsight, as always, is a wonderful thing."

Chris Byrne

"Water erosion under the wall over time? If water can create the Grand Canyon it can bring a small wall down."

Andy Graham

"It's those otters, they have burrowed under the wall footings. We'll have to move them back upstream to Bilton again."

Jonathan Hoyes 

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

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