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06
Dec 2024
Part of Harrogate’s Whinney Lane dug up three days after resurfacing work
Work requiring a section of Whinney Lane to be dug up just three days after a resurfacing scheme completed took place this week.
The road to the west of Harrogate, which is a hotspot for new housing developments, underwent extensive resurfacing work which finished last weekend.
However, nearby resident Mike Newall alerted the Stray Ferret to fresh roadworks, which require the road to be dug up, starting just three days later on December 3.
Mr Newall said:
So, after months – nay, years – the local roads have had the much needed TLC applied and major resurfacing has been going on in our area.
I had a joke with my mate that when Whinney Lane was finally completed – after the pointless replacement and wasting of kerbstones – and resurfaced, it would be dug up within weeks.
[It took] three days! Yes, Openreach today (December 3) dug a large trench through the brand-new tarmac right across Whinney Lane.
When Mr Newall approached Openreach to find out more, a contractor said the work was being carried out to “install a conduit for the 5G upgrade to the mast at the top of the lane”.
North Yorkshire Council’s roadworks map says it is a “utility repair and maintenance work”.
Mr Newall added:
They had specifically asked to be able to get access and complete the works before the final surface went down.
He [contractor] had checked with his manager, and he said that permission had been refused as another contractor was on site.
Although the work was only scheduled to last until December 5, Mr Newall said the timing of the work is “beggars’ belief” and described it as a “travesty”.
“To anyone involved in this – and I am happy to listen to listen to any plausible explanation – you should hang your head in shame”, he added.
Mr Newall also believes the resurfacing will “break up” over the winter months and drivers will “soon be back to suspension-busting potholes”.
The Stray Ferret has contacted North Yorkshire Council to ask why it would permit work that requires a section of road to be dug up so soon after a resurfacing scheme.
However, we had not had a response by the time publication.
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