Revised Harrogate Station Gateway plans won't be revealed until spring

Revised Harrogate Station Gateway plans won’t be revealed until spring

Last updated Jan 17, 2024

Station Gateway in Harrogate

The full revised plans for the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway won’t be revealed to the public until spring.

North Yorkshire Council scrapped its original proposals, which included reducing a stretch of Station Parade to single lane traffic and part-pedestrianising James Street, after breaching public law last year.

Cllr Keane Duncan. the council’s executive member for highways, said last week it had submitted the full business case for the revised scheme to West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which will now decide whether to fund it.

Some details have been revealed to the media: they include retaining two lanes of traffic and creating a southbound cycleway on Station Parade, creating a bus lane, junctional signal improvements and improvements to Station Square and the One Arch foot tunnel.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council when the full plans would be revealed to the press and public. A spokesperson said yesterday:

“It is expected to be in the spring after a funding decision has been made by West Yorkshire Combined Authority.”

They added engagement, including consultation on traffic regulation orders, would also take place in spring.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority is funding schemes in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby after being awarded funding from the UK government’s £2.45 billion Transforming Cities Fund, which invests in sustainable transport schemes.

Richard Flinton at the chamber meeting.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire Council, told members of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce this week the gateway was “not one of the swiftest projects you will have come across in business” but added:

“We think we have eventually landed on something that’s deliverable and demonstrates a consensual way forward.”

He said the start date was expected to be in autumn this year, subject to West Yorkshire Combined Authority approval.

Mr Flinton added the council had scheduled other road maintenance schemes in Harrogate for other times so there wasn’t too much disruption.

Cllr Duncan, who has been chosen to represent the Conservatives in the York and North Yorkshire mayoral election on May 2, said last week the submission of the full business case “represents a significant cross-party effort and many hours of discussions”.

He added “there will be further public engagement and consultation on the detail of the plan in coming months” — but it appears this won’t begin for at least a couple of months.