A diversion in Knaresborough is set to remain in place until Monday after a problem was discovered with a sewage pipe.
Yorkshire Water closed Halfpenny Lane to deal with a pipe under the surface, and had planned to reopen it yesterday.
However, the work has taken longer than expected and the diversion via Boroughbridge Road and Chain Lane remains in place. A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:
“Unfortunately, the works on Halfpenny Lane have been delayed after we found other utilities networks in the excavation, which prevented us from completing the work safely.
“Northern Gas Networks and Northern Powergrid have been to the site to assist with their networks and carry out work to enable our teams to complete our repairs safely. We have worked closely with local council highways teams to keep disruption to a minimum and are working hard to finish the work and reopen the road as soon as possible.”
A spokesperson said the excavations revealed a gas pipe had been placed through the top of the sewage pipe.
Until the gas pipe can be moved, the hole will be filled in. Once the gas repairs have been carried out at a date to be confirmed, Yorkshire Water will return to complete the work to the sewage pipe, which is still operational.
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Meanwhile, temporary traffic lights on Boroughbridge Road have been adding to traffic problems in the area.
They are linked to a new housing development and have been in place since mid-March.
While they are due to end tomorrow, a further day of works for fibre broadband is expected to hit the road near Greengate Lane on Sunday, along with two days of resurfacing work from Tuesday morning. Both will involve temporary traffic lights.
The traffic problems caused by extensive roadworks in the area have led some residents to question why so many restrictions were allowed to be put in place at the same time.
North Yorkshire Council’s corporate director for environment, Karl Battersby, said:
Ripon car dealership to close after Fiat restructure“The roadworks on the A6055 have been in place for a number of weeks and are developer works as part of a new housing development and are due to be completed on Friday (June 16).
“The nearby Yorkshire Water works are emergency repairs due to a collapsed sewerage pipe that needed to be fixed immediately.
“We could not have foreseen that there would emergency works ongoing when the permit was issued for the resurfacing works on the A6055.
“We appreciate that roadworks near each other create additional delays for road users, but once the developer works are completed, it will ease the situation until Yorkshire Water can complete its emergency repairs.”
A Ripon car dealership is set to close its doors at the end of the month after the manufacturer decided to pull out of the city.
Piccadilly Motors will close its branch in Dallamires Lane on Friday, April 28 after receiving notice that Fiat was ending its franchise agreement.
Customers have been invited to use the company’s sister site on Boroughbridge Road, Knaresborough, which will continue to trade as a Kia dealership as well as offering serving for Fiat, Abarth and Alfa cars.
The Knaresborough branch is less than 10 miles away from Ripon, and the Piccadilly team said it has introduced extra support for customers travelling from the Ripon area, including more courtesy cars.
Managing director Simon Watts told the Stray Ferret:
“We have managed this carefully and because of the growth of the business we have in Knaresborough, most customers have already migrated to the Kia product and we’re also doing Fiat for servicing at Knaresborough, as well as MOTs.
“It’s the same with staff. We’ve really handled that in the most sympathetic manner we could. Fortunately, only one person will lose their job, who doesn’t want to travel, but they’ve managed to get another job elsewhere.
“It has been an absolute priority for us to handle it in the most customer- and colleague-friendly manner.”
Mr Watts said the company had looked to find another manufacturer to bring to its Ripon branch, but in a challenging market it had not been possible.
Demand for used cars is high in the UK, leading to low supply for dealerships. The looming prospect of changing legislation over sales of petrol and diesel cars is also having an impact, as manufacturers work to deliver more electric vehicles in time for the 2030 cut-off.
Fiat has only been selling the 500 model, Mr Watts said, and the low volume of sales had led it to restructure its network. He added:
“It’s disappointing, but thankfully we’ve got a business in close proximity that can carry on providing a service.”
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Knaresborough petrol station to reopen after 10-week refurbishment
A petrol station in Knaresborough is set to reopen its doors after a 10-week long renovation.
Co-op petrol station on Boroughbridge Road will open tomorrow with a new look and a much bigger emphasis on the food store.
The convenience retailer has almost doubled the size of the food store which now covers more than 2,600 square feet. The filling station also has new pumps and and a new canopy.
Due to the renovation there are vacancies for up to four staff. In total the new-look site will support 12 jobs.
Inside the store customers will find a bakery, hot food, a Costa coffee dispenser, more fresh, healthy products as well as food-to-go, wines, ready meals and everyday essentials.
A new addition to the site includes a recycle unit for “soft plastics” which currently covers Co-op’s own food packaging.
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Scott Wilson, Co-op store manager, said:
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to make such a significant investment in Knaresborough.
“The investment has enabled Co-op to provide a new, improved and larger food store, create new local jobs and, overhaul the petrol filling station – to better serve our community.
“We have worked to develop the range, choice, products and parcel collection services to create a really compelling offer to serve the community with its food and fuel needs, conveniently.”
Michael Calvert, Co-op area manager, added:
Alert resident averts Ripon travel chaos again“Co-op is committed to connecting communities and making a difference locally, and our aim is to operate at the heart of local life.
“We also want customers to know that they can become a member of the Co-op.
“In addition to unlocking additional value and personalised offers, Co-op donates to community causes when members swipe their membership card.
“So by shopping at the Co-op our members are helping to make good things happen in their community.”
North Yorkshire County Council has performed another u-turn to avoid travel problems for people going for vaccinations in Ripon.
For the second time in seven weeks, the council’s highways department has had to hit the brakes on plans to close a bridge on a key diversion route.
The bridge over the River Ure on Boroughbridge Road was due to close for inspection all day tomorrow.
But alert resident Paul Stockburn pointed out that such a move would have caused problems because Boroughbridge Road is already serving as a diversion for a section of the nearby Dishforth Road that is closed for road works.
Had the closure gone ahead, it would have created difficulties for people driving along Boroughbridge Road in and out of Ripon.
The bridge, which is half a mile from Ripon racecourse vaccination centre, was first due to close for inspection on 19 January.
But six days earlier part of Dishforth Road closed for eight weeks for work by Yorkshire Water. It remains closed.
Conflicting closure signs on the Dishforth and Boroughbridge roads. But the bridge over the River Ure will be open tomorrow
When Mr Stockburn pointed this out, the highways department said it would re-schedule the bridge closure when Yorkshire Water’s pipe renewal work was complete.
So Mr Stockburn, who lives in Copt Hewick, was surprised to see road closure signs appear again this week. He told the Stray Ferret:
“I couldn’t believe my eyes because I know that the Dishforth Road is still going to be closed tomorrow.
“The county council appear incapable of working out that eight weeks from 13 January gives a finish date of 10 March.
“Unbelievably, they were about to make exactly the same mistake.
“You wonder, did they ask Yorkshire Water first, before deciding they were going to close the bridge on 5 March?”
After receiving a call from Mr Stockburn, the Stray Ferret contacted NYCC to let it know the Dishforth Road closure was ongoing.
Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the council, apologised and said:
“Yorkshire Water has been undertaking an eight-week programme of works on Dishforth Road therefore our contractors scheduled the one-day bridge inspection for this Friday when the work was due to be complete.
“Unfortunately Yorkshire Water need to extend their works until March 14 so we are in the process of rearranging the bridge inspection and have removed the advance notice signs.”
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Prior to the start of its work, Yorkshire Water sent a letter to all households in Copt Hewick. It said:
“We understand that these works will be inconvenient, which is why we’ve liaised closely with North Yorkshire County Council highways department regarding every aspect of this essential scheme.’”
The importance of the Boroughbridge Road diversion route, increased on February 2 when the covid vaccination centre opened at Ripon racecourse.