Police have arrested a man on suspicion of drug and driving offences after a car was found with shredded tyres in Kirk Hammerton.

Officers found the Land Rover on the A59 in the village in the early hours of this morning.

A man in his 30s from Northumbria was arrested on suspicion of drink driving, drug driving, possession of a class-A drug, dangerous driving and driving without insurance.

He was taken into custody and bailed pending further enquiries, including drug test results.

North Yorkshire Police added in a statement:

“Police are urging anyone who suspects someone of drink or drug driving to contact the force by calling 101 and selecting option 1, or phoning 999 if it’s happening immediately.”

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North Yorkshire County Council is in discussions with landowners to purchase 90 acres of land earmarked for a major £60 million reroute of the A59 at Kex Gill.

A diversion is planned west of Blubberhouses on the A59 at Kex Gill, which has been blighted by a history of landslides and a recent “instability issue” which cost the council £1.4 million.

The council needs to acquire the land before it can begin construction on the scheme.

Council officials said negotiations were ongoing with landowners to reach an agreement on the price of the land, rather than acquire it by a compulsory purchase order.

The Stray Ferret asked the county council how much money has been set aside for the project.

Barrie Mason, assistant director for highway and transportation at the county council, said:

“The Compulsory Purchase Orders and the Side Roads Order recently published for the A59 Kex Gill are a routine part of the process of delivering the scheme.

“Where the CPO relates to land purchase, this is being carried out alongside negotiations with landowners aimed at reaching an agreed, rather than compulsory, purchase.

“We have estimated the likely cost of land purchase, but as negotiations are ongoing it would be inappropriate to disclose these figures now, as that could prejudice those negotiations. We will, of course, make this information public once negotiations are concluded.”

The council has outlined the 90 acres of land it intends to purchase in internal documents.

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Included in the scheme is land off the A59 at Blubberhouse Moor between North Moor Road and Hall Lane, land at Hall Farm and land to the east at Hall Beck. 

Agricultural land along the A59 up to Church Hill is also outlined in the scheme. Woodland east of Hall Lane and west of the River Washburn would also be acquired.

The existing road also passes through an area designated as Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Most of the land earmarked for purchase is woodland or agricultural land.

The authority said any compulsory purchase would be used as a last resort. But the project could be delayed by a further 15 months if an objection is lodged against a compulsory purchase order.

Such an objection would lead to a public inquiry.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, told a full council meeting last month:

“The compulsory purchase and side roads orders have been published with a formal consultation period until the end of August.

“The project programme without a public inquiry indicates that construction could start this autumn. On the other hand, if a public inquiry is required, the start of works could be delayed by up to 15 months.”

An instability problem on the A59 at Kex Gill has cost North Yorkshire County Council £1.42 million, according to a report published by the authority.

Multiple incidents including landslides over the last 10 years has seen authority officials intervene to fix the road.

According to recently published county council documents, the cost to taxpayers for the road has been “increasing over the last ten-year period”.

But an instability issue in May 2018 caused road closures for several months, which council officials say led to a “complex repair scheme” being carried out.

Barrie Mason, assistant director highways and transportation at the authority, said:

“The £1.42 million cost and the ‘latest instability issue’ relates to the complex repair scheme that we implemented in 2018 when we closed the road on 30 May that year, after movement was detected in the carriageway.

“We had to carry out a two-phase repair involving rock anchors, which saw the road closed until 8 July 2018 and then operate under temporary signals until the end of March 2019 followed by a week-long closure in May 2019 for the final surfacing to be completed.”

Meanwhile, between October 2000 and May 2019, five landslides were recorded at the site and the retaining wall failed four times.

In January 2016, the road was closed for eight weeks and traffic diverted through Ilkley and Otley after heavy rain caused a landslide.

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The report, which was published to support the council’s compulsory purchase orders for land at Kex Gill as part of a £60 million diversion project, said:

“There is a long history of landslips on the land above the A59 at Kex Gill. These landslips deposit material onto the road leading to closures of the A59. 

“The financial cost of intervention for the authority and the disruption to users of the route has been increasing over the last ten-year period and the risks of earthwork failures have slowly been shifting from a slope stabilisation risk to a global stability risk of the carriageway itself.”

It comes as the county council is pressing ahead with a £60 million project to create a diversion west of Blubberhouses at Kex Gill.

The project would take a year to complete and could start in autumn this year.

Authority officials are currently in the process of procuring a contractor to start work on the project.

However, this could be delayed by 15 months if a public inquiry is called.

Such as hearing could be held if an objection is lodged to the council’s compulsory purchase orders

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, told a full council meeting last month:

“The compulsory purchase and side roads orders have been published with a formal consultation period until the end of August.

“The project programme without a public inquiry indicates that construction could start this autumn. On the other hand, if a public inquiry is required, the start of works could be delayed by up to 15 months.”

More than half-a-million pound is to be spent on tree planting and environmental projects to offset the “irreversible” damage of a new major road linking Harrogate and Skipton.

The £60m carriageway is to be built as a replacement for the landslide-prone Kex Gill section of the A59. The road has a history of causing unsafe driving conditions and delayed journeys, as well as high maintenance costs.

Construction could begin by autumn and is subject to an agreement with the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) which is to be given just over £590,000 for projects to protect and enhance the area over the next 30 years.

Iain Mann, manager of Nidderdale AONB, said the area’s management board initially opposed the road realignment project but later “reluctantly” accepted it was the “only viable option” to overcome the problem of landslides.

He said:

“The Nidderdale AONB joint advisory committee has always acknowledged the importance of finding a sustainable, long-term solution.
“It is clear that the construction of the new road will cause a permanent and irreversible impact on the AONB. Some impacts can be mitigated within the project boundary and others will be addressed through the off-site mitigation fund.
“We have worked very constructively with the county council on the development of the off-site mitigation fund and we have agreed in principle to manage the delivery of this fund.
“It will be used to pay for a significant amount of biodiversity and landscape enhancements in the surrounding area, such as the creation of new woodland, improving riparian habitats, enhancing moorland and planting new hedges.”

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National conservation bodies The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Natural England also raised concerns over the project, as well as minerals company Sibelco which asked for a government review of the plans but was refused.

Officials at North Yorkshire County Council – which is overseeing the project – previously said the impact on the landscape and wildlife was acknowledged, but extensive planning had not found a better way to re-route the road which is a key east-west link.

Where it runs through Blubberhouses Moor, the road has been hit by regular landslides – most recently in 2018 – which have resulted in closures and diversions through other North Yorkshire towns and villages.

There have been five major landslides at Kex Gill since 2001, with one incident closing the road for eight weeks.

The county council has already agreed to provide about £4m towards the £60m realignment project, with the rest being funded by the Department for Transport (DfT).

Announcing the funds in January, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

“I know that residents have been frustrated by frequent road closures at Kex Gill caused by landslips in the area.
“Our funding will go a long way towards addressing those problems, making journeys more reliable for people travelling between Harrogate and Skipton.”

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for information about a collision that occurred on the Old Spring Well roundabout on the A59 near Killinghall.

It happened on February 16 at 2.30pm and involved a silver VW hatchback colliding with a black Ford Fiesta.

The driver of the silver VW didn’t stop following the collision and drove off towards Beckwithshaw.

A statement by North Yorkshire Police today said:

“Officers are seeking the identity of the VW driver to establish the circumstances surrounding the cause of the collision.”

Anyone who witnessed this incident or has dash-cam footage, can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for PC Charles Lonsbrough.

Quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12210061537.

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A final decision on whether to proceed with plans to re-route the A59 at Kex Gill has been delayed.

Despite receiving extensive support from the public and North Yorkshire county councillors, the plans could now be called in by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Today’s meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s planning and regulatory functions committee unanimously supported the plans in order to prevent the continued disruption caused by landslips along the current route of the A59.

Committee chairman Peter Sowray said:

“I don’t think anyone can question the need for this road and it’s obviously impossible to build a road in this sensitive location without some harm to the environment, and to nature and wildlife.

“But I am satisfied that there are mitigation measures in place, both inside and outside the designated areas, to make it so that we can approve this route.”

However, councillors were unable to give the final sign-off to the proposal because minerals company Sibelco has asked the Secretary of State to call it in.

The committee heard from Lewis Williams, representing Sibelco, which argued the valuable minerals in the area should be given more consideration.

Although the Blubberhouses quarry closed some years ago, he said there remained significant mineral deposits which were valuable to industry but had been overlooked in a plan that was “ham-fisted, rushed and ill conceived”.

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Objections were also received from nearby residents, who cited concerns about the impact on the surrounding countryside, which is subject to several designations for its beauty and importance.

Councillors were told that their approval of the scheme would be subject to a further agreement being made on mitigating measures against the environmental impact of the changes.

In their report to the meeting, the impact on the landscape and wildlife was acknowledged by council officers, but they said extensive planning had not found a better way to re-route the road.

While today’s unanimous vote in support of the proposal is a significant step forward, NYCC will have to wait to hear whether the Secretary of State will call in the plans as requested, before any work can begin.

A major plan to build a three-mile reroute of the A59 at Kex Gill near Harrogate is in line for approval next week.

The £60 million project is due to go before North Yorkshire County Council’s planning committee and council officers have recommended that the application is approved.

The project would take a year to complete and see the creation of a diversion west of Blubberhouses at Kex Gill.

It comes as the site has a long history of landslips, which have blighted travel on the road for years.

County council bosses have bid for funding from the Department for Transport and brought in consultants WSP to draw up blueprints for the diversion.

The site on the A59 at Kex Gill, which has a history of landslips.

The government has indicated it will offer up to £56 million towards the project, with the county council covering the remaining £4.95 million.

In its planning statement, the authority said intervention was required to protect road users.

It said:

“Without intervention the evidence suggests that the road and road users continue to be at significant risk from future and more severe landslips; potentially resulting in serious injuries or fatalities.

“Due to the nature of the landslips at Kex Gill, it is considered that it is necessary to realign the vulnerable section of the A59.”

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Landslips in recent years have caused weeks of disruption.

In January 2016, the road was closed for eight weeks and traffic diverted through Ilkley and Otley after heavy rain caused a landslip.

According to the council’s planning documents, between October 2000 and May 2019, five landslips were recorded at the site and the retaining wall failed four times.

In that time, the total cost to repair the damage, which include works to resurface the road or repair damage to the retaining walls, is estimated to be £2.23 million.

Should the project be approved and work start in the summer, Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said it could begin without traffic disruption.

However, he told the Stray Ferret back in November that some disruption may happen when the road is aligned with the existing A59.

Councillors will vote on the application on Tuesday.

Reports are coming in of dire driving conditions on the A59 Skipton Road, just a few miles from Harrogate.

Heavy snow has fallen and some vehicles have had to be rescued. A lorry also got stuck.

With sub-zero temperatures forecast tonight, the outlook is unlikely to improve overnight. Indeed, the combination of ice and snow could make matters even worse.

The A59 tonight. Credit: North Yorkshire Weather Updates

The North Yorkshire Weather Updates social media pages have been showing numerous videos and photographs of hazardous conditions, particularly around Blubberhouses and Kex Gill.

Storm Bella brought widespread flooding to the district today also.

Be careful and let us know if you have got caught up in the travel chaos.

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A £60 million project to reroute part of the A59 Harrogate to Skipton road is scheduled to start next summer, if government funding and planning permission is granted.

The project, which will take a year to complete, will see the creation of a three-mile diversion west of Blubberhouses at Kex Gill.

The Department for Transport and North Yorkshire County Council hope the new route will solve problems caused by landslips, which have blighted travel on the road for years.

The road was closed for eight weeks in 2016 and traffic diverted through Ilkley and Otley after heavy rain caused a landslip.

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County councillors are set to pledge further funding next week for the realignment of the road if costs go above a government grant.

Plans for the new road on the A59 at Kex Giill. Picture: North Yorkshire County Council.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, told the Stray Ferret he was “hopeful” the scheme will go ahead.

He said:

“We are pressing for a decision on the funding.

“It has been a difficult year and there has been a change of government since we put the bid in.

“But everything we are hearing from the Department for Transport is positive.”

Cllr Mackenzie added the project could begin without traffic disruption to begin with but it might occur towards the end when the new road is connected with the existing A59.

The Department for Transport has indicated it will offer up to £56 million towards the project, with the county council covering the remaining £4.95 million.

While the government has yet to give final funding approval, it has set a condition that any further costs would need to be met by the authority.

Council bosses have estimated the overall cost to be £60 million, but added it could increase to £61 million if a public inquiry is held.

A planning application for the project will go before the council’s planning committee on December 15.

Senior county councillors have been recommended to accept the funding condition at a meeting on Tuesday next week.