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:
“At the time, we expressed the view that much of this work came over as incoherent and lacking any real structure. We were assured that a complete infrastructure strategy and associated delivery schedule would be made available in October of last year.
“Council representatives assured us that these documents would include clear objectives, clear deliverables, timings, supporting data and financial costings. This was a council commitment, not one initiated by us as stakeholders.
“Yet here we are in mid-2023 and the latest position is that consultants are still looking at the viability of what previous consultants have proposed.So far we have seen no hard detail whatsoever in relation to the infrastructure strategy and delivery schedule and no offer of meaningful engagement with the community.
“Recent correspondence would seem to indicate further delays therefore our overall concern is that this work when it eventually emerges will deliver an ineffective and inadequate package.”
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:
“The reality is that we are now some years on and we see nothing that convinces us that there’s any sort of plan in place that will help to mitigate strains on the infrastructure to the west of Harrogate.”
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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:
“Really, we do need to get our act together on these matters, because people are living in a state of flux where nothing is happening and it’s not fair to the residents.
“I strongly want the executive to get on top of this. I know we’ve had the distraction of local government reorganisation and eight councils into one, but that has now been achieved and we really need to move on with these matters.
“i don’t want to be sitting here in a year’s time and having similar presentations from parish councils.”
