Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

---

Is this rewilding eyesore acceptable for our town?

I was interested to read in the Stray Ferret that Harrogate Borough Council has decided to repeat last years exercise of ‘wilding’ the Stray.

The article was accompanied by an attractive picture of wild flowers and grass gently bending in the breeze. It looks idyllic, and just the image that we want to project to encourage people to visit our town.

The grass verge directly in front of 8 West Park (Specialized & OKA) was ‘wilded’ last year and for weeks we had a miserable view of two-metre high weeds, and the odd dandelion amongst the sparse grass.



This year, as my images illustrate, it’s going to be another eyesore. The kind of abandoned verge you wouldn’t be surprised to see on a motorway central reservation but not Harrogate, home of the RHS Harlow Carr and Valley Gardens.

This is on the main walking route into our town, passed by thousands of visitors each year and yet the council seem oblivious to this embarrassment of a ‘maintained’ verge. There were no spring crocuses bursting through. It’s pointless the council cutting the grass because there is as much bare earth as grass. Why has it been forgotten?

I broadly support the concept of ‘wilding’. if the preparation has been done it can look really attractive as it does in neighbouring towns.

I anticipate the council's response i.e. ‘lack of resources due to covid’ and’ budget restraints’ etc but would it cost so much for a rotavator, some weed killer and grass seed? I would gladly pay for the wild flowers seeds!

Please take a stroll past this verge and ask yourself is this acceptable for our town.

Ian Latham, Harrogate

---

Sort out this traffic light mess!

I agree with Liz Carnell and the appalling situation with traffic congestion on Skipton Road.

The phasing on all the traffic lights from Bilton Lane right through to Claro Road is completely rubbish.

They all need to be adjusted to time and flow with emphasis on ensuring traffic turning into Skipton Road is not then impeded by red lights, which in turn cause log jams such as King's Road and Woodfield Road into Skipton Road, both of which allow three cars to turn and immediately into red lights.

As always, local authority make changes at will without understanding the situation in the first place and almost always make the problems worse.

Tony Petrie, Woodfield Road, Harrogate

---

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.