£7.7m upgrade of junction 47 on A1(M) delayed by two months

A £7.7 million project to upgrade junction 47 on the A1(M) at Flaxby has been delayed and is now scheduled to end in December.

Work began at the start of September last year to widen slip roads and install traffic lights to prevent vehicles queueing.

The project, carried out by contractors Farrans Construction on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council, also involves upgrading the road network just off the junction.

It was due to end shortly but the completion date has been pushed back two months due to “unforeseen ground conditions”.

Barrie Mason, assistant director highways and transportation at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“Work to upgrade junction 47 on the A1(M) is progressing well and when complete will address congestion, improve road safety and support sustainable development in Harrogate and Knaresborough, as well as supporting the county council’s objective of improving east-west connections across North Yorkshire.

“Unforeseen ground conditions have required extra work on the southbound on-slip carriageway and this has delayed the scheme.

“The original planned completion date of late September or early October has been revised to December this year.”

The project is being funded by the county council with £2.47m from the government’s Local Growth Fund along with contributions from Highways England and developer Forward Investment LLP.

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Plans submitted for 400-home eco-resort at Flaxby

The developer that wanted to build 3,000 homes on the former Flaxby golf course has now submitted plans for a 400-lodge eco-resort on the site.

The Stray Ferret reported in November that Flaxby Park Ltd was considering an eco-resort as an alternative scheme for the site close to the A1.

It has now submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council and claims the project could generate £53m a year of visitor spending and employ 460 full-time staff.

According to documents filed with the planning application, the eco-lodges are “intended to attract the most discerning visitors” and would have a focus on sustainability.

The plans also include a hotel, outdoor swimming pool, spa and sports area as well as a pub/cafe, farm shop, gift shop and activity hub.

The documents say the “driving principle” behind the resort is to allow families to “reconnect with nature” in “an ecologically rich environment” using renewable energy. They add:

“The development of this unique, environmentally conscious eco-lodge holiday complex would generate significant benefits for the local economy and that of the wider region.”

The application accepts noise from the A1(M) “may be audible in certain areas of the site” but says trees will help to minimise the impact. It adds:

“Overall, the scheme proposed will promote a sustainable tourism and leisure development that will considerably strengthen the offer within the district.”

If planning permission is granted the developer says the resort could be built by 2024.

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An aerial view of the proposed resort.

The site of the former Flaxby golf course has had a tumultuous recent history.

There were plans to build a £7m, 300-bedroom five-star hotel on the site but the company behind the scheme filed for bankruptcy.

Current owner Flaxby Park Ltd bought the site in 2015 and hoped to build 3,000 homes but its hopes were dashed when Harrogate Borough Council chose Green Hammerton and Cattal as the location for the homes instead.

The controversial decision came to a head in October when Flaxby Park Ltd and Harrogate Borough Council contested a judicial review in London’s High Court.

The judge ruled the council’s decision to choose Green Hammerton and Cattal over Flaxby did not have to be made again.