Consultation Archives - Page 3 of 4

Fears latest Harrogate cycling plans will create ‘murder strip’

A cycling group has warned that one of the new options being considered to promote active travel in Harrogate could create a ‘murder strip’ for cyclists.

Cyclists describe unprotected cycle lanes on busy roads as murder strips — and there are fears one could be created on Beech Grove.

North Yorkshire County Council has put forward three options as part of its latest consultation on increasing cycling and walking in Harrogate on Otley Road and the nearby area.

Harrogate District Cycle Action has said the second option is so dangerous it shouldn’t even be offered.

It would involve making traffic one-way on Beech Grove heading out of town and creating an unprotected cycle lane on the opposite side.

Image by Harrogate District Cycle Action

Harrogate District Cycle Action’s submission to the consultation says there isn’t enough width for parking, a traffic lane, and a contraflow cycle lane.

It says the contraflow cycle lane “would be a narrow ‘murder-strip’ in the gutter, very likely 1m 30 wide at the most – i.e. less than the absolute minimum width”. It adds:

“Oncoming traffic would be less likely to slow down to pass, as drivers would think ‘I’m in my lane, the cyclist is in theirs, so I’ll keep going at full speed.’

“That would lead to unpleasant experiences with oncoming vehicles that would feel – and be – dangerous.”

The group is critical of the decision to even consult on the idea.

“Option 2 is nonsense, and should not be presented as an option at all in this consultation. It provides zero benefit to active travel – indeed, it may make matters worse.”

Asked to comment on the cycling group’s concerns, a council spokeswoman said:

“This is a live consultation so we can’t comment. All feedback will be considered when it closes. “

Beech Grove has reopened to through traffic after an 18-month closure.

The three options

Option 1 – The existing proposal on Otley Road

The first option is what was originally proposed for this phase of the Otley Road cycle path which runs between the junctions of Cold Bath Road and Beech Grove.

These plans include junction upgrades and shared cycle paths and footways, similar to what has already been built on Otley Road. But the county council said some sections could be too narrow, which is why it is considering re-routing.

Harrogate District Cycle Action supports this option.

Option 2 – An alternative route using Victoria Road

Under these plans the route would be diverted onto Victoria Road with a one-way traffic system and the removal of some parking spaces to allow for a 1.5 metre wide cycle path.

The one-way traffic system would run up until Lancaster Road, before connecting with Beech Grove.

Option 3 – An alternative route using Queens Road

This final option would see a 3m wide shared cycle path and footway built on Queens Road before connecting with Lancaster Road and Beech Grove.

Parallel and toucan crossings are also proposed.

Details emerge of new Harrogate district town the size of Thirsk

A six-week consultation has begun on the Harrogate district’s proposed new town.

Maltkiln is expected to be built in the Hammerton and Cattal area and include between 3,000 and 4,000 homes, two primary schools, shops and a GP surgery.

With an estimated population of up to 10,000, it is likely to be bigger than Richmond and similar in size to Thirsk.

The development moved a step closer this week when Harrogate Borough Council opened a consultation on its draft new settlement development plan document, which sets out a 30-year vision and policy framework on how Maltkiln is designed and developed.

The consultation documents cover issues such as the impact of the development on flood risk, heritage sites and climate change.

Maltkiln

A section outlining the council’s ‘vision’ for Maltkiln describes it as “a garden village with a distinctive identity” that is “developed around convenient rail access to Harrogate, Leeds and York” and “people are not dependent on a car”.

People have until November 14 to make comments on the proposal. You can do so online or at the council’s Civic Centre in Harrogate or at libraries in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge and Poppleton.

Decision due on cuts to Harrogate’s night-time fire crews this month

A controversial plan to cut the number of night-time fire engines in Harrogate to just one is set to be decided by the county’s police, fire and crime commissioner this month.

Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe is assessing feedback from a consultation and is expected to meet with her executive board for a decision in September.

She has continually insisted that the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service would “continue to provide an immediate emergency response” under the plan as emergencies are less likely to occur during the night.

Yet union officials and councillors remain concerned about the proposal which has been described as “putting money before lives”.

The plan is part of the fire service’s new risk and resource model, and a three-month public consultation ended in August.

According to the commissioner’s website, a consultation summary report will be presented to the executive board for a decision before the final risk and resource model is published.

If approved, it will pave the way for a new strategy on how the fire service will deploy its staff and equipment over the next three years.

There are similar proposals for fire stations in Scarborough and Huntington which commissioner Metcalfe said along with the Harrogate plans would save over £1.5 million a year to allow for investment in fire prevention

She also insisted the proposals are not cost-cutting measures and have been based on “extensive risk assessment”.

However, concerns remain over public safety and the amount of government funding that the fire service receives.

The North Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union previously said the fire service’s finances have left it “struggling to buy the basics” and that around £25 million is needed to replace out-of-date buildings, vehicles and equipment.

Union secretary Steve Howley also said the risk and resource model plans would leave the county with a “second-rate emergency response service that will put lives at risk”.

He said:

“A decade of under investment in the fire and rescue service has dovetailed with an increase in response times both locally and nationally,

“The police, fire and crime commissioner needs to fight for the correct funding from government, not simply mask underfunding by slashing services.”

Developer proceeds with ‘unseemly’ Maltkiln event in mourning period

The developer behind a proposed new Harrogate district town of up to 10,000 people are proceeding with a consultation event today despite calls for it to be deferred.

Caddick Group is holding a public drop-in event at Green Hammerton Village Hall from 3pm to 7pm.

The proposed new town, called Maltkiln, will be built in the Hammerton and Cattal area and include up to 4,000 homes, as well as two primary schools, shops and a GP surgery.

But some councillors and residents feel the event should be postponed until after the Queen’s mourning period ends.

Cattal train station would be at the heart of the new development.

North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council have postponed meetings this week.

Paul Townsend, a member of Kirk Hammerton Parish Council, questioned whether it was appropriate for the event to proceed. He said:

“The guidance we have been given as parish councils is that it is expected that non-urgent business should be deferred until after the period of national mourning.

“I have therefore informed the scheme promoters that Kirk Hammerton parish councillors will not be attending the event in their official capacity.”

Today’s event is not part of any official consultation process. Harrogate Borough Council, the planning authority, is expected to open an official consultation next month.

Local resident Alex Smith said:

“It feels unseemly right now even to be drawn in to a debate about whether or not this event should go ahead. I think many residents were just assuming Caddick would postpone it out of respect — and also out of a professional concern to have an effective consultation, with residents’ full attention.

“Volume developers aren’t renowned for their sensitivity, and if Caddick have pressing commercial reasons to hold this event right now, however compromised it might be and whatever the optics — they’re within their rights to do.”

‘Cancelling now would cause confusion’

A spokesman for Caddick said it was “shocked and saddened” to hear of the Queen’s death, adding:

“In line with government guidance on the period of national mourning, which was published on Friday, we decided that the correct course of action is to continue with our consultation event.

“To cancel this at very late notice would risk causing confusion amongst the 1,250 residents and businesses we have written to in the local area, and it is important that we conclude this specific consultation process well before Harrogate Borough Council consults on their draft development plan document in October.

“However, we can confirm that we will extend the duration of the consultation period by two days, to midnight on September 21. In addition, as part of our ongoing application and engagement with the local community we are always ready to discuss our proposals and receive comments regarding these.

“We updated politicians and stakeholders advising them as to our decision to proceed with the consultation, on Friday 9th September. We have been absolutely committed to consulting fully on our proposals throughout this process and are constantly reappraising what we need to do as a business to ensure the widest variety of views can be heard.

“If we receive any requests to meet separately with stakeholders, then we will of course consider those and seek to arrive at a suitable outcome. It is of course a difficult time for many and we will further review our approach as the consultation progresses.”

Council faces calls to hold in-person Maltkiln consultation events

Harrogate Borough Council has been criticised because it plans to promote its latest Maltkin consultation through social media and video, rather than at in-person events in Green Hammerton, Kirk Hammerton and Cattal.

A draft development plan document (DPD) has been drawn up by officers at HBC that includes a vision for how the 3,000-home settlement called Maltkiln will eventually look. The developer Oakgate Group would build the homes.

It is the biggest housing scheme in HBC’s Local Plan, which sets out where development can take place until 2034, and it is likely to change the face of the three small villages off the A59.

No exhibitions

The draft DPD is set to go before councillors at a meeting on September 21.

If approved, a six-week public consultation on the document will take place, beginning on October 6.

However, an email from a senior planning manager to councillors and stakeholders, seen by the Stray Ferret, says the consultation will only be promoted through social media, posters and an ‘explanatory video’ that sets out what the DPD is.

The email says:

“Please note that we are not holding a public exhibition as we feel that the explanatory video will have a broader reach and be more appropriate given the nature of the content of the DPD.

“During more detailed master planning, when visual options are being presented and design codes discussed, then public exhibitions may be more appropriate.”

Cllr Alex Smith, of Kirk Hammerton Parish Council, said he felt this was unsatisfactory, particularly for residents who struggle to navigate the council’s website.

He said:

“By deciding not to exhibit in the affected villages, HBC are excluding those residents who are unable to navigate the depths of the consultation site, something which is challenging, even for experienced users.

“Council leader Richard Cooper went out of his way to promise residents that the consultation would be genuine and inclusive, but this feels like neither.”

The layout for Maltkiln, which is centred around Cattal Station

Cllr Smith compared the proposals to develop Maltkiln with Harrogate’s Station Gateway, which has seen several rounds of in-person public consultations organised by North Yorkshire County Council. He added:

“You only have to compare what’s happening with the Station Gateway, which, even on its third consultation, is getting three days of public exhibitions.

“For the ‘New Settlement’ – a much more significant development – the council have managed to switch preferred options, chosen the site, and even named it, without so much as setting foot in one of the local village halls.

“Some consultations are more genuine and inclusive than others, it would seem.”

In response, a HBC spokesperson said:

“This is the latest consultation regarding the new settlement in the Hammerton/Cattal area of Harrogate district, known as Maltkiln. And follows a number of earlier stages of consultation and engagement that have helped shape the Development Plan Document (DPD), which we are now consulting on.

“The DPD is a sizeable policy framework that will allow us to manage how the new settlement is developed moving forward, and due to its nature, it is more appropriate to host an online consultation to ensure all information and documents – of which there are many – are easy to view and digest.

“To ensure the public is made aware of this consultation we will be producing a video, FAQ document, issuing press release(s), social media posts, a Residents’ News article, as well as informing the community liaison group and printing leaflets and posters to raise awareness of the consultation.

“During more detailed master planning, when visual options are being presented and designs discussed, public exhibitions may be more appropriate.”

Harrogate traffic to be counted for £11.2m Station Gateway

The amount of traffic in Harrogate is to be monitored as part of the £11.2 million Station Gateway scheme.

Speaking at a consultation event today on the latest designs for the scheme, Richard Binks, head of major traffic and infrastructure at North Yorkshire County Council, said it had asked consultants to count the volume of traffic.

Mr Binks said current forecasts were based on pre-covid surveys and it was likely traffic had reduced since then.

North Yorkshire County Council said last month the scheme would extend the average journey time around town by 73 seconds at peak times.

Mr Binks said this had now been amended to 50 seconds because plans to reduce two approaches to the Odeon cinema to single lanes had been abandoned.

He said he suspected the traffic count would further negate the argument that the scheme will slow down traffic, even though it will reduce part of Station Parade to one lane.

Mr Binks said it was a common misconception that reducing the number of lanes around town caused congestion. He added that having more efficient junctions, with upgraded smart traffic lights on Station Parade, would improve traffic flow.

He said:

“We are working towards submitting a full business case in the new year so we have about six months to finalise designs.”

Today’s consultation event was the first of three in which people can see the latest designs.

A document displaying the latest designs at today’s consultation event.

In another development today, Mr Binks said the taxi rank on Station Parade would now remain the same length, after the county council indicated last month it would be shortened.

Mr Binks was one of four officials at today’s consultation event answering questions on the latest designs, which were on display.

Further events will be held tomorrow and Saturday from 11am to 4pm at Victoria Shopping Centre.

Mr Binks acknowledged there were concerns but he said the overwhelming sentiment today was positive and he detected a “softening” of attitudes towards the scheme, which would reduce part of Station Parade to single lane and part pedestrianise James Street.

Station Parade

Business groups have expressed concern about the impact on trade but Mr Binks said the regeneration of the town centre would make it more attractive and encourage shoppers, as well as making it better for cyclists and pedestrians.

He added the loss of a small number of parking spaces would not have a significant impact because there was “an abundance of car parking in Harrogate”.

Mr Binks also said the scheme remained affordable despite the increase in cost of raw materials over the last year.

You can take part in the consultation online here.

What is the Station Gateway?

The project is one of three in North Yorkshire, and 39 nationally, being funded by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund to promote active travel.

North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority all support the gateway.

Work is due to start in late spring next year.

Consultation withdrawn on closure of Nidderdale village school

Governors at Fountains Earth Primary School in Upper Nidderdale have withdrawn their request for a consultation over its closure.

They had put forward the plans after finding the low number of pupils made the school in Lofthouse unsustainable, with just 11 on the role aged between four and 11.

However, a letter issued to parents at the end of term said:

“The governors have reviewed the current position of Fountains Earth. With new information to consider, we will be withdrawing the current consultation application sent to [North Yorkshire County Council] whilst we review this new information.”

The move has been welcomed by parents who had opposed any possibility of the school’s closure.

Sharon Leeming, whose two children have both attended the school, is chairman of the village parents’ association.

It saw villagers rally in support of the school, turning out in force when the threat to it was discussed by Upper Nidderdale Parish Council at the beginning of July.

Ms Leeming told the Stray Ferret:

“The community are incredibly pleased and the 110-strong turnout at the parish council meeting showed what a thriving community we live in.

“We hope the governing body see the impact of a school closure would have on the young people in the area. There are increasing numbers of children over the next five years, so hopefully the school will remain strong and the community will continue to thrive.”

‘New information’

While the governors have not given a reason for their decision, North Yorkshire County Council confirmed the news to the Stray Ferret. Stuart Carlton, corporate director of children and young people’s services, said:

“The governors of Fountains Earth Primary School have withdrawn the application for further consideration after new information was made available.”

Ms Leeming said she and other parents had provided information about more families moving to the village in recent months, as well as others planning to do so.

Part of the reason for the village’s increasing popularity, according to Ms Leeming, was the number of people who were able to work from home for the first time following the covid pandemic.

She said:

“Superfast broadband has been installed in Nidderdale. A lot of current parents work from home and said they have never had a better internet connection.

“EE have switched on a mast up the dale and people can’t believe the signal they’ve got. Those kinds of things make a huge difference.”

Unlike other schools under threat of closure, Ms Leeming pointed out Fountains Earth is rated ‘good’ by Ofsted.

It is part of a federation of schools with St Cuthbert’s in Pateley Bridge and Glasshouses Primary School, which has just received a very positive Ofsted report. The three schools share a headteacher, Nicola Thornber.

However, she said any threat over its future could lead people to choose other options rather than risk having to change their child’s school later on.

“If people hear a school is consulting to close, they won’t even consider moving to the village. If they know it has been withdrawn, or revisited, people will have more confidence in the village and in the school.

“There’s something special about Fountains Earth. We need to all work together now to keep it open.”

Last-ditch campaign to save Woodfield school in Bilton

A union official has offered to spearhead a campaign to save Woodfield Community Primary School from closure.

A four-week consultation on closing the school on December 31 ends on July 4.

Representatives from North Yorkshire County Council told a public meeting last night they had exhausted all options to keep it open.

There was widespread anger and disbelief among those attending at how a school with good facilities in a populated area had ended up in this position.

Gary McVeigh-Kaye, North Yorkshire district branch secretary of the National Education Union, said it was “disgusting and immoral” that the school faced closure because it couldn’t find an academy sponsor. He added:

“This is a community school. If you want to campaign, I will support you.”

Ten staff could lose their jobs if the closure goes ahead.

Woodfield School public meeting

Only about 20 people attended last night’s meeting at the school. Many of those present said most parents regarded closure as a done deal orchestrated by the county council.

Morag Plummer, who has had links with the school since it opened 51 years ago, said the council had neglected a once-thriving school for seven years. She said:

“They want this land and they couldn’t give a damn about us.

“The majority of people in the community want their children to attend a school in the area. Children are heartbroken.

“They just want that land and everybody else will suffer.”

Other parents made the same claim that the land would be used for housing but Andrew Dixon, the council’s strategic planning manager for children and young people’s services, said a decision on the site’s future hadn’t been made.

He added any such decision would be distinct from that of the school’s future.

Andrew Dixon, speaking at last night’s meeting.

Mr Dixon said the council’s proposed merger of Woodfield and nearby Grove Road Community Primary School showed it wanted to retain the Woodfield site for education. The proposal, which Grove Road governors rejected, would have seen Woodfield become part of Grove Road.

Mr Dixon’s presentation highlighted how Woodfield pupil numbers had fallen from 154 in 2018 to 37 this year.

He said 93% of primary aged children in the Woodfield catchment area who attended a council-run school went to other schools.

Woodfield, he added, faced a cumulative deficit of £229,000 in 2023/34, due to low pupil numbers.

He presented three options: the Woodfield catchment area could either be subsumed by Grove Road or Bilton Grange Primary School catchment areas, or it could be shared by the two schools.

Dave Poole, whose children and grandchildren attended Woodfield, said many parents had already taken their children out of the school due to scaremongering messages about its future,

James Poole said he had been unable to find another school willing to take on his child, who has special needs.

Woodfield School

Retired teacher Diane Maguire, who lives in the area, said the school’s facilities and vast outdoor space would be a huge loss to the community. She said:

“It seems the school has been badly let down by North Yorkshire County Council. It seems like the council is culpable.”

Aytach Sadik, a grandparent, asked if families could buy the school, which was described as “an interesting proposal” by Amanda Wilkinson, the Conservative councillor for Morton-on-Swale and Appleton Wiske, who is also the council’s executive member for education and learning skills.

Andrew Hart, a sub-postmaster in Bilton, said numerous new nearby housing developments would exacerbate the need for a school in future and the council should think ahead when making its decision, rather than look at past failings. Woodfield, he said, had been left to “rot on the vine”.

But Mr Dixon said falling birth rates suggested local schools would be able to cope.

Amanda Newbold, assistant director for education and skills at the council, said nobody wanted the school to be in the position it was but the local education authority was obliged to work with Woodfield governors to find a way forward.

Public meeting next week over future of Woodfield school

A public meeting will be held next week over the future of Woodfield Community Primary School in Bilton.

North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) has vowed it will take parents’ views into consideration as part of a consultation over a possible closure of the school.

The authority has now confirmed the closure would take effect from December 31 this year.

It has announced three options for future school allocations: the Woodfield catchment area could become part of that of Grove Road or Bilton Grange primary schools, or it could be split or shared between the two other schools.

The meeting will take place at Woodfield school on Wednesday at 6pm.

Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, member for education and skills at NYCC, said:

“Woodfield Community Primary School governors, together with North Yorkshire County Council, have worked extremely hard to find a solution which would see the school remain open but, sadly, this has not produced any viable options.

“During the consultation we will listen to parents’ views; we will also review the opinions of other groups involved with the school. Everyone will be given the opportunity to contribute.”

NYCC said it would welcome any views on its proposals, or alternative plans being put forward. All contributions will be part of a formal review which will be considered by the council’s executive before a final decision is made.

News about the consultation over the proposed closure was announced last month, ending months of speculation about the school’s future.

It followed its last Ofsted report labelling the school ‘inadequate’ in January 2020. Woodfield was then forced to try to find an academy to join.

Governors were in negotiations with nearby Grove Road Community Primary School, but a planned amalgamation to take effect from September fell through this year.

Woodfield’s governors said they had “exhausted all options” and were left with no choice but to consult over the closure.

Parents have protested to keep the school open.

As well as attending the meeting on Wednesday evening, parents can take part in the consultation on the council’s website.

Part of the consultation will include asking parents of current pupils to state their preference for an alternative school for their children to attend, either following any decision to close Woodfield, or sooner if they prefer.

A council spokesperson said:

“The overall intention will be to ensure fairness around the school transfer process in the event that a decision is ultimately taken to close the school.

“It will allow the local authority to apply consideration of admissions criteria to each request and avoid allocating places on a first-come, first-served basis.”

The authority said its admissions team is always happy to give advice to parents and can be contacted at schooladmissions@northyorks.gov.uk.

Last chance to have you say on quality of Harrogate hospital care

Time is running out for people in the Harrogate district to have their say on how they feel about the care they receive at local hospitals.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Harrogate District Hospital and Ripon Community Hospital, is carrying out a survey aimed at improving services and quality of care.

The survey runs until Monday and will be used to improve the experience for patients, highlight areas where the trust performs well and identify the areas where it needs to improve.

Matt Graham, the trust’s director of strategy said:

“HDFT’s last strategy was created in 2014 and during this time the trust, the NHS, and our communities have changed significantly.

“The covid pandemic has meant that over the last two years we have had to adapt to the pressures we have faced and this has impacted upon the services we have been able to offer. It is important we now look to the future and create a strategy which delivers on our top priorities – to provide the highest quality of care for the people in our communities and the best possible experience for our patients.

“We need to get the perspective of our patients, carers and other members of the community so that we can understand what issues are important to them.

“We will then use this feedback to improve the care we offer over the next five years so that we are well placed to meet the opportunities and challenges of the future.”

The trust has also conducted a focus group this month in collaboration with Healthwatch North Yorkshire.

The one-hour session gave people the opportunity to learn about why the trust is refreshing its strategy, comment on feedback received to date, and have their questions answered.

You can take part in the online survey here and for more information on attending a focus group email hdft.strategy@nhs.net.

The three options

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‘Cancelling now would cause confusion’

No exhibitions

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What is the Station Gateway?

‘New information’

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