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12
Jun 2023
Residents demand progress on west Harrogate infrastructure plan
Residents' groups in the west of Harrogate have expressed "total dissatisfaction" with infrastructure improvements in the area.
Seven parish councils and residents' associations shared their frustrations with the lack of progress as thousands of new homes are built.
They said they had been promised a draft document almost a year ago but were yet to see it, or any other progress.
Rene Dziabas, chairman of Harrogate and Pannal Ash Residents' Association, spoke on behalf of the groups at North Yorkshire Council's Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee last week.
He said:
Mr Dziabas said there were 4,000 new homes being built around the west of Harrogate, "the equivalent of a small town".
Residents were concerned about the impact not just on roads, but on medical facilities, schools, buses and other infrastructure.
He said the local plan, which sets out where development can happen, was being put together more than a decade ago, yet there had been no changes to infrastructure to cope with the building that had already taken place.
He added:
Read more:
- Residents to meet council about future of Otley Road sustainable travel
- 'Real solutions' needed to west of Harrogate congestion, say residents
In response, NYC's planning and transport departments issued a joint statement, which was read out by meeting clerk Mark Codman.
It said the local plan and related documents set a "clear framework" for development, while section 106 agreements with developers were used to leverage investment for infrastructure improvements.
A review and costings exercised had been commissioned by the previous councils, it said, and would provide "clarification and certainty". It added:
"The complex nature of the work means it is not yet complete. Officers are prioritising this work, however the nature of strategic projects does sometimes involve unforeseen delays."
Cllr Chris Aldred, who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley for the Liberal Democrats, said he was in agreement with the residents.
He recalled hearing a similar call for progress at a meeting a year before, and said he was frustrated to be in the same position now. He added:
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