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26
Jun
Residents cross Harrogate beck on foot after bridge closure
Residents of Knox, on the edge of Harrogate, have taken to crossing Oak Beck on foot after its sudden closure yesterday (June 25).
As we reported, the 17th-century Spruisty Bridge has been fenced off by North Yorkshire Council due to safety concerns arising from the state of the wooden handrails at either end.
A notice attached to the temporary barrier blocking the way states that the emergency closure “will be followed by a six-month closure until 23rd December 2026”.
The prospect of losing use of the grade two listed bridge for such a long time has caused consternation on both sides of the beck, as it used daily by people for going to work, school and other essential purposes.
Alternative routes add at least half an hour onto many journeys on foot.
Temporary fencing bars the public from using the bridge.
The Stray Ferret asked local councillors if they had any answers. Cllr Paul Haslam made enquiries and received an email from an officer in the council’s highways department, who wrote:
It’s a public right of way structure. A closure has been placed on the route following a report received regarding the condition of the handrails on the bridge.
Officers are currently looking into options to repair the handrails on the structure so that the route can be reopened in a timely manner, whilst being considerate of the grade two listing of the structure.
A six-month closure is a standard length of closure, and we are hopeful to have the bridge reopened well within this time period.
This ambition was repeated by a council spokesperson when we asked about it.
But until the handrails are repaired and the bridge is reopened, residents are having to find alternative ways of getting to their destinations.
One, Maxie Schiffmann-Rowinski, told the Stray Ferret:
People need the bridge to get to work – we see people going past at the same times every day, so they’re clearly commuting. People on both sides of the beck rely on buses on the other side. One goes past on an electric scooter – what's he going to do now? It’s a real problem.
Some people are climbing around the fence – one cut his hand on it – and others are wandering around looking forlorn, wondering what to do.
We’ve had to go through the beck four times so far, just to get our boys to school in Killinghall.
Some children are now going through the beck to get to school after the council closed Spruisty Bridge due to safety concerns.
The notice attached to the temporary fence says that "a local alternative route will be signed on site where appropriate", so we asked North Yorkshire Council whether it planned to signpost such an alternative route, and if so, where this route would be.
A spokesperson said:
The alternative route is using the footways along Knox Mill Lane and Ripon Road.
They did not suggest any alternative routes for residents living on the other side of the beck.
Cllr Haslam told the Stray Ferret:
I did offer to have the handrails repaired by volunteers, using my locality budget to pay for materials, but the council declined the offer because it’s a grade II listed structure and so will need professional attention.
But the six-month closure is just a standard duration, and I’m hoping they might repair it within the next week. I have asked for a date, because I’m concerned that people might try to find a way around the barrier and cause more damage to the handrails.
Ms Schiffmann-Rowinski added:
The irony is that it will probably end up costing more to put the fence up – and eventually take it away again – than it would have to just replace the handrail.
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