Cyclist suffered ‘serious injuries’ in Harrogate crash

A cyclist suffered serious injuries in a crash with a car in Harrogate yesterday, police said today.

A stretch of Cold Bath Road was closed for hours following the collision at the junction with West Cliffe Grove.

The air ambulance landed on the Stray so paramedics could offer medical treatment quickly.

North Yorkshire Police said it had now traced the driver of a dark-coloured hatchback who they appealed for help finding yesterday.

Officers are now appealing to anyone who saw a white Vauxhall Viva travelling uphill on Cold Bath Road from the direction of the Fat Badger hotel bar roundabout or saw the cyclist travelling in the opposite direction to get in touch.

Cold Bath Road

The scene at the junction of Cold Bath Road and West Cliffe Grove yesterday.

A police statement said:

“The rider of the pedal cycle suffered serious injuries at the scene and was taken to hospital for medical treatment following the incident at around 1.40pm on Friday.

“Police appeal for any witnesses to the collision or anyone who has CCTV/dash cam footage that may assist the investigation to come forward.”

If you can help, contact North Yorkshire Police on 101 and quote incident 12220142867. Or email 001282@northyorkshire.police.uk.

Quote reference number 12220142867 when providing details.

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Prologue opens ‘luxury showroom’ for bikes in Harrogate

Performance cycling business Prologue is to open the bike equivalent of a “luxury car showroom” in Harrogate tomorrow.

The showroom will display some of the finest quality bikes on the market, ranging in price from £3,000 to £15,000.

The showroom is based in Wellington House, the former hotel on Cold Bath Road.

John and Rachael Reid opened Prologue in another unit in Wellington House in 2014 — the year the Tour de France came to the Harrogate district.

Since then Prologue’s distinctive yellow branding has become a feature of Cold Bath Road. It has a shop selling cycling gear and clothing, a workshop, a bike fitting area and a café open to everyone.

But it doesn’t sell many bikes simply because there isn’t space.

The new showroom, in the former White Stone Ski and Sports Store, will address that by stocking up to 40 bikes.

The white lines of a road have been painted in the middle of the showroom and bikes will be displayed there, as well as hung from the walls to create a high end feel.

Mr Reid said:

“It will provide that same level of experience you get in a luxury car showroom.

“If you’re buying a high quality bike you want to enjoy the experience of going through that process of looking at it and trying it and getting that personal service.”

Prologue

Prologue is expanding on Cold Bath Road.

Harrogate’s cycling hub

Scottish-born Mr Reid, who previously worked in software sales, opened Prologue eight years ago when he was looking for a change of career and lifestyle.

A keen cyclist, he and his wife, who used to work in the same building on Cold Bath Road when it was home to Harrogate Interiors, funded the business themselves.

They now employ eight full-time staff and several part-time and the shop only closes three days a year.

The business has benefitted from a surge of interest in performance cycling and British success in the Tour de France but the couple have worked hard to create a social hub as well as a business.

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They quickly forged links with local clubs Harrogate Nova and Cappuccino Cycling Club, whose members often converge outside. They also host talks on subjects such as nutrition and training and have even hold film screenings.

A launch event for the new showroom at Prologue tomorrow will feature a bike belonging to Tom Pidcock, the Leeds cyclist who represented Team Ineos, the leading British cycling team, at this year’s Tour de France.

 

Beech Grove decision leaves Harrogate in slow lane for cycling

Beech Grove was supposed to be the centre of a new cycle network in Harrogate from Cardale Park to the train station.

It would link cycle routes on Otley Road and Victoria Avenue, encouraging people in the west of Harrogate to travel in and out of town on bikes.

So this week’s decision to re-open the road to through traffic came as an unwelcome surprise to cyclists and left many wondering when the much-vaunted active travel measures for the town would actually be active.

It is now five years since North Yorkshire County Council secured funding for the Otley Road route. So far a third of it has been built, hardly to a fanfare of applause.

Two years ago the county council also successfully bid for funding to create cycle routes on Oatlands Drive and Victoria Avenue in Harrogate and on Harrogate Road in Knaresborough.

The Oatlands scheme has been shelved and there appears to be little prospect of work starting soon on the other projects.

Beech Grove

Beech Grove

Some people hailed the council’s decision not to extend the 18-month Beech Grove experiment as a victory for common sense.

Former headteacher Dennis Richards said it was a well intentioned but half-baked proposal that turned nearby Victoria Road into a racetrack as motorists sought alternative routes.

Victoria Road

There were plans to extend traffic calming measures into Victoria Road.

But active travel supporters were left gloomy about the prospect of progress on schemes to make Harrogate more cycle friendly and reduce the carbon footprint.

Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said:

“We are very disappointed. We knew nothing about the fact that they were going to take this decision.

“If you bid for these funds, you have to deliver them.”

Mr Douglas described Beech Grove as a “key link” in the plans to develop cycling in Harrogate. Without it, he said the Otley Road scheme lost much of its value.

Otley Road

The council introduced the experimental order in February last year and Mr Douglas said this gave it 18 months to resolve any issues.

The council had talked about making Victoria Road one way and creating a wider low traffic neighbourhood but any plans appear to be back at square one. Several cyclists took to Twitter to vent their frustration.

Terrible decision by N Yorkshire. Worse that the 1st major decision by new Executive Member for Access Keane Duncan is to give a thumbs down to active travel, and the green light to rat-running traffic. It shows a lack of backbone & failure to commit to active travel.

— Hedgehog Cycling (@HedgehogCycling) August 4, 2022

 

So does the end of the Beech Grove experiment spell the end of plans to develop cycling in the area? It would appear not.

A council spokeswoman said:

“This information and feedback will allow us the opportunity to bring forward a detailed and coordinated plan, connecting active travel initiatives such as Otley Road and Station Gateway together as planned.

“We will involve residents and interested parties as we draw up plans for a wider package of permanent measures, which we plan to consult in September.”

But the prospect of another round of consultation doesn’t thrill cyclists who are desperate to see progress.

Mr Douglas said:

“What we need is less consultation and more action.”

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New cycling plans for Harrogate to be drawn up next month

A “detailed and co-ordinated plan” to encourage cycling and walking in Harrogate will be drawn up next month.

North Yorkshire County Council said today the plan will connect active travel initiatives such as the Otley Road cycle route and the Station Gateway.

It comes a day after the council revealed the Beech Grove road closure, which was introduced to encourage cycling, will end on August 14.

Beech Grove was seen as a key part of an integrated cycle route from Cardale Park to Harrogate train station.

So the decision to re-open it to through traffic was greeted with dismay by some cyclists and environmentalists.

But that doesn’t appear to be the end of the matter.

A council spokeswoman said today the Beech Grove measures, which cost £10,000, were introduced on a trial-only basis in February 2021, for a maximum of 18 months.

Beech Road

Bollards being installed on Beech Grove last year.

Because the trial is due to end on August 14, the “measures must legally be removed on this date”, the spokeswoman said, adding:

“Throughout the trial period we have reviewed consultation responses, collected traffic survey data and carried out site observations.

“This information and feedback will allow us the opportunity to bring forward a detailed and coordinated plan, connecting active travel initiatives such as Otley Road and Station Gateway together as planned.

“We will involve residents and interested parties as we draw up plans for a wider package of permanent measures, which we plan to consult in September.”

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Contractor for Harrogate’s Otley Road cycle route to be appointed in autumn

Council officials have said a contractor to build the second phase of the Otley Road cycle route in Harrogate is expected to be appointed in the autumn.

But it is still unclear when work on the project will start.

The first phase of the route, which runs from Harlow Moor Road to Cold Bath Road, was completed in January.

However, residents raised concerns over its design and the length of time it took to complete the project.

As a result, county council officials delayed progress on the second phase to review its designs.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire County Council when the next phase of the route will be built and whether a contractor had been procured.

Melissa Burnham, highway area manager at the county council, said:

“Final detailed designs for phase two of the Otley Road cycle route are due to be approved within the next few weeks, with the contract expected to go out to tender during August.

“It is expected the contract will be awarded to the successful provider during the autumn.”

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However, she did not respond to another question enquiring when construction is expected to start.

Council officials had previously set that procurement for a contractor would begin in June.

The second phase of the cycle lane will run from Arthurs Avenue to Beech Grove.

Costs have yet to be revealed for the next section of the route, but Hull-based PBS Construction was awarded a contract worth £827,000 for the first phase.

The third and final phase of the scheme, which will run from Harlow Moor Road to Cardale Park, is expected to be funded via contributions from housing developers.

New Harrogate Station Gateway details revealed today

The councils behind the Harrogate Station Gateway said it was time for the town to “seize the opportunity” today, as new details of the project emerged.

A media briefing was held in Harrogate today before a third phase of consultation on the latest proposals begins on Wednesday.

Key elements of the scheme, including the part-pedestrianisation of James Street and some of Station Parade being reduced to single lane, remain in place and are non-negotiable, councillors said.

But the briefing did reveal some changes:

Odeon roundabout

The Odeon roundabout

Conservative councillor Keane Duncan, the executive member for access and transportation at the county council, told the briefing it was time to “crack on”.

He said:

“We want to continue with this scheme. It’s an exciting opportunity for Harrogate. We are at the stage where we either seize the opportunity or lose it.

“We need to take this scheme forward. If we didn’t it would be a travesty for Harrogate.”

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The scheme aims to encourage cycling and walking and make the town centre a more pleasant place to visit.

But business groups fear the loss of parking spaces and potential congestion could deter shoppers.

Cllr Duncan said the council didn’t want a “war” with businesses, which have expressed major doubts about the initiative.

He said the gateway would attract more people into the town centre and be good for business.

‘First major investment in Harrogate for 30 years’

Councillor Phil Ireland, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, said the scheme was a “fantastic regeneration project and the first major investment in Harrogate in 30 years”.

Cllr Ireland added that if it didn’t succeed, after months of wrangling, it could “affect how Harrogate is looked upon when future funding is available”.

He said the average car journey in the Harrogate district was less than 2km and this scheme would encourage more people in the town centre vicinity to walk or cycle. Those who didn’t, he added, still had 6,000 parking spaces, many of which are free.

The Harrogate scheme is one of three in North Yorkshire, and 39 nationally, being funded by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund.

Tania Weston, Transforming Cities Fund programme manager at the county council, hailed the public realm benefits, such as completely revamping Station Square to include a water feature and new seats.

Ms Weston added empirical evidence suggested there was widespread misconception about the impact of active travel schemes on businesses, with them usually having a “positive or neutral” impact.

One Arch

One Arch

She said there would also be a focus on making One Arch “pleasanter” by improving the landscaping and introducing lights with a “shimmering” effect inside the tunnel.

Drop-in sessions will be held from 9am to 5pm at the Victoria Shopping Centre on August 4, 5 and 6 as part of the consultation. An online event will be held on August 10 at 6pm.

 

Consultation announced for two new cycle routes

Consultation is to begin this summer on two new cycle routes in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

North Yorkshire County Council received £1,011,750 last year from the Department for Transport’s active travel fund to improve cycling and walking infrastructure.

The funding is due to be spent on two schemes in the Harrogate district and one in Whitby.

The Harrogate district schemes are on the A59 Harrogate Road, Knaresborough, between Badger Mount and Maple Close and on Victoria Avenue, between the A61 (West Park) and Station Parade.

Victoria Avenue

The Victoria Avenue cycle path could link with the Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood.

A third Harrogate scheme for Oatlands Drive was scrapped after a negative response, but new proposals to cut congestion in the area are due to be revealed in autumn.

The funding was secured more than a year ago and little discernible progress has been made since then.

The Stray Ferret asked the county council for an update.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the county council, said:

“The two proposed schemes in Harrogate — along the A59 and on Victoria Avenue — are currently in the detailed design stage to understand the cost and funding requirements.

“We are carrying out road safety audits on the routes this month before taking the final designs to a public consultation in the late summer.”

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But it seems the Knaresborough scheme will not proceed any time soon.

Although North Yorkshire County Council is leading on the project, the issue was raised last week at a Harrogate Borough Council meeting.

Stray land

Harrogate Borough Council has ringfenced £500,000 towards the Knaresborough scheme from its investment reserve.

When asked about progress on the initiative, Councillor Phil Ireland, the cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, told the meeting “there has been an acceptance that this will not happen prior to local government reorganisation” in April next year.

Cllr Ireland said:

“We definitely want a cycleway between Harrogate and Knaresborough. However, it won’t happen quickly as further funding will need to be identified, plus there’s always the perennial issue of Stray land on the verges of Knaresborough Road.”

He added that the borough council, which will be abolished in April, was considering allocating the funding to other “shovel-ready schemes” from North Yorkshire County Council, such as the Victoria Avenue initiative.

Cllr Ireland said the borough council was “waiting for some more information’ from the county council before making a decision.

The Victoria Avenue scheme could link with the Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood, if the decision to close the road to through traffic is continued.

 

 

Residents may ask council to reconsider Otley Road cycle path

Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents’ Association (Hapara) could launch a petition that asks North Yorkshire County Council to reconsider the next phases of the Otley Road cycle path.

The first phase was completed, save for some remedial works, earlier this year and runs from Harlow Moor Road to Arthur’s Avenue.

It has been welcomed by some as a long-overdue investment into the town’s cycling infrastructure, but for others, its execution has been poor.

There has been widespread criticism over the design of phase 1, which weaves on and off a pavement that is partly shared with pedestrians.

In its latest newsletter published this week, Hapara poured scorn on NYCC’s claim that the cycle path will reduce motor traffic and said there is little prospect of it being used by more cyclists due to its design.

It added:

“We have already seen that phase 1 has the effect of reducing pedestrian facilities, whilst at the same time Otley Road is as busy as ever with traffic.”

The newsletter says consultation with residents and businesses has so far been a “token” gesture with those affected by the route “not allowed their voice” in the development of the scheme.

It asks residents if it supports Hapara gathering a petition that asks the council to “reconsider the whole approach to this cycle path” and undertake a “proper consultation”.

‘Needs to be completed’

Phase 2 will continue the path towards Beech Grove and plans for how it will look were published along with phase 1 in 2019.

The plans show one tree will be felled below Victoria Road and some grass verges down both sides of Otley Road will be tarmaced over to make way for the cycle path. Like phase 1, the path will be shared with pedestrians.

NYCC previously said work on phase 2 would begin in spring 2022, which has now been pushed back until this summer.

Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said he disagreed with Hapara that another round of consultation was needed.

He said this will slow down the progress of the route which “needs to be completed at the earliest opportunity”.

Mr Douglas said work to complete phase 1 hasn’t been finished due to “poor project management” by the council, which has put some cyclists from using the £2m route.

He added:

“The initial concept was awarded funds for a single scheme from Cardale Park to the Prince of Wales roundabout. If that had been done it would have made a greater impact in encouraging new cyclists due to it being a safe environment.

“We would urge Hapara to lobby NYCC to progress all remedial works on Phase 1 and deliver the remaining phases to the government standards so the work on getting people out of their cars for short journeys (school, town etc) can be promoted.

“A further consultation will add nothing other than further delays and with the proposed housing developments that will increase the pressure on Otley Road.”

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Walking the route

Liberal Democrat councillor for Harlow & St Georges, Michael Schofield was elected in May.

His day job is landlord of the Shepherd’s Dog pub, where the cycle path will eventually go past if phase 3 ever sees the light of day.

Cllr Michael Schofield

Last Thursday, Cllr Schofield invited Conservative cabinet member for highways, Cllr Keane Duncan, to walk phase 1 with him so he could voice his concerns.

In May, Cllr Duncan took over the highways brief from the retiring Don Mackenzie, who for many had been the public face of the Otley Road cycle path.

Cllr Schofield said:

“I was lucky enough that Cllr Duncan accepted my invite to walk the current cycle path with me to see the issues. I feel it was a positive meeting because he saw for himself some of the issues residents have raised with myself such as having a speeding cyclist whizz past us, to seeing the disjointed layout of the route and the anxieties of vulnerable residents on Swinton Court.

“I hope he takes this away to evaluate before pushing the plan for Phase 2 and 3.”

Council’s response.

Melisa Burnham

Responding to Hapara, Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at NYCC, said:

“Three representatives of Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents Association attended our recent stakeholder meeting in May and we have offered a separate meeting and walkthrough.

“We paused phase 2 to undertake this event, where we consulted stakeholders on the details of phase 2. We will be carrying out further consultation for phase 3 when we have detailed designs.

“Their concerns will be considered in the final safety audit of the route in July. We acknowledge the required improvements at the Harlow Moor Road junction, which will be addressed as soon as we have access to the third party land. We continue to listen to their views which will shape our plans going forward.”

Surge in demand for e-bikes as petrol prices continue to rise across the district

More people are ditching their cars in favour of electric bikes as petrol prices continue to soar, according to Harrogate district retailers.

As the average cost of diesel has almost hit the £2 per litre mark, people are increasingly looking at more wallet-friendly ways to get around.

Local e-bike suppliers say there has been a notable shift in the number of customers now moving to pedal and e-power, opting to save their fuel for longer journeys.

Kurt Davison, manager of the Electric Bike Shop, on Leeds Road, Harrogate, said:

“We have definitely noticed a rise in sales. This isn’t surprising given that you are looking at £2 a litre for fuel and you also have to factor in road tax and insurance.”

Mr Davison said 65 per cent of journeys made in the UK were less than five miles, so more people were choosing e-bikes for shorter commutes.

He said:

“We hear it a lot from people. The cost of fuel is too high. So they want to use an e-bike to get to work rather than running a car.

“We also recently sold a cargo bike to a family who are using it for the school run.”

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Andy Crawley, who has owned Harrogate Electric Bikes – CorCoach, on St John’s Terrace, Harrogate, for 10 years, said he had noticed a rise in the number of returning customers wanting to get back on their bikes.

Andy Crawley, owner of  Harrogate Electric Bikes – CorCoach.

He said:

“They are using their bikes more and I have seen an upturn in servicing existing bikes. They are coming back and saying they haven’t used it for a while and they want to use it more due to the cost of petrol. It hurts when you fill your tank up now!

“I do a lot of conversions where I convert bikes to electric bikes. I have definitely seen a surge in this, as then customers are not having to pay thousands of pounds for a brand new model. The cost of living crisis means many people can’t afford a brand new e-bike.”

He added that many people were still too nervous to cycle on the district’s roads and while improvements have been made, there needed to be a better infrastructure in place.

Tony Robertshaw has owned North Yorkshire Electric Bikes, in Bond End, Knaresborough, for a decade.

He said while his customer-base had always traditionally fallen into an older age bracket due to having more disposable income, he had noticed an increase in younger customers buying e-bikes.

He said:

“People are wanting bikes to commute on, rather than using their cars. Customers do say that petrol prices are too much.

“There are also a lot of benefits to investing in an e-bike. There are the health benefits and the cost benefits.

“Most of my bikes last a good 10 years, so if you work the cost out per year, it is relatively cheap. You would get through £300 of petrol in no time.

“You also don’t have to pay insurance or road tax. So it’s definitely cheaper than running a car.”

 

Fears for trees in next Otley Road cycle path phase

Fears have been raised that work to build the next phase of the Otley Road cycle path in Harrogate will cause permanent damage to mature trees.

A meeting about the cycle path was held last night at Harrogate Grammar School between North Yorkshire County Council officers and local groups, including Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents Association, Zero Carbon Harrogate, The Stray Defence Association and Harrogate District Cycle Action.

The first section between Harlow Moor Road and Arthur’s Avenue was completed in January.

Work on the next phase from Arthur’s Avenue to Beech Grove have been earmarked to begin in autumn.

Yesterday’s two-hour meeting was not open to the media but we spoke today to some of the people that attended.

‘Can’t afford to lose the trees’

Plans for phase one and phase two of the cycle path were first published in 2019.

Officers delivered a presentation on the plans for phase two last night, which remain largely the same as the 2019 proposals.

These show one tree will be felled below Victoria Road and some grass verges down both sides of Otley Road will be tarmacked over to make way for the cycle path, which will be shared with pedestrians and built close to two rows of large trees.

The trees and verges on Otley Road are technically part of Stray land. Last year Harrogate Borough Council agreed a land swap with a section of grass on Wetherby Road so the cycle path could proceed.

Judy d’Arcy Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association, called the first section of cycle path on Otley Road, which has been widely criticised for its design, “a dog’s dinner”.

She said the 100-year-old trees on Otley Road were vital for absorbing water during heavy rainfall, adding:

“I’ve sought repeated assurances they will not create any damage to the trees. Those trees are on Stray land. They are protected by the law and they are a huge environmental asset to the town. We can’t afford to lose the trees.”

‘Pure scaremongering’

Malcolm Margolis, a Harrogate District Cycle Action member, said he needed more time to study the plans but any suggestion workers would damage trees on Otley Road was “pure scaremongering”.

He said:

“It is regrettable if a tree has to be lost, if this is unavoidable as part of a high quality cycle path. No doubt it will be replaced with new saplings nearby. We have previously asked North Yorkshire County Council to consider a 20mph speed limit and narrowing the carriageway, which might avoid tree loss.

“The suggestion that more may be lost if workers dig into the roots is pure scaremongering. Similar suggestions were made about phase 1 but the only trees that went were those in the plans, and almost all of those were for changes to Harlow Moor Road, which were purely to benefit drivers, not cyclists or pedestrians.”

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‘Preserve beauty of town’

Otley Road resident Chris Dicken has been an outspoken critic of the scheme since it was first proposed several years ago. He said “there’s no doubt Otley Road will be spoiled” by its next phase.

“It will change the ambience. It’s a very nice tree-lined boulevard.

“Trees have roots that go everywhere. How do you make sure they don’t damage those trees for the future? It won’t show up immediately but it could affect the trees. How do you get around that?”

Michael Schofield, the newly elected Liberal Democrat county councillor for Harlow & St Georges, said the council needed to ensure no trees are damaged:

“The last thing we want is for someone to be doing work and to accidentally dig into the roots. Those trees do take up a lot of water. They help that.

“The trees give Harrogate an identity. It’s one of the reasons people come to visit. We need to preserve the beauty of town.”

Government guidelines

New government guidance on cycle lanes in July 2020 said any new infrastructure should be “high quality, with a strong preference for segregated lanes”.

It warned against councils building routes that require a lot of stopping and starting from cyclists.

But the guidance was introduced after the designs for phase one and phase two were published, so it doe snot apply to these sections.

The Stray Ferret was offered an interview with Melisa Burnham, NYCC highways area manager. But today the offer was retracted.

Instead it issued the following statement from Ms Burnham

 “As part of our planning for Phase Two of the Otley Road cycle route we invited a range of stakeholder groups from across Harrogate to contribute their views and ideas on the project.

“They included the Ramblers Association, the Youth Parliament, Civic Society, residents associations, Stray Defence and the Cycle Action group. North Yorkshire councillors who represent the area also attended and the event resulted in positive and constructive discussions between group members and officers responsible for designing the scheme.

“County Council officers, alongside Harrogate Borough Council colleagues, explained the role Otley Road will play in creating a sustainable transport corridor, which will help provide residents with better choices for their travel needs.

“We also took the opportunity to update attendees of Phase One progress and the outstanding remedial work, including resurfacing, signage relocation and lining. This will be complete in June. Advanced notification will be sent to the residents indicating a confirmed start date.

“The design for Phase Two has not changed significantly since the first engagement in 2019 but we wanted to take this opportunity to discuss this again in person with the groups present.

“Key themes which emerged included the need to consider all sustainable transport users (cyclists, walkers and buses) of the routes and a recognition of the competing priorities of all users, the impact on the surrounding area, trees and Stray. We will ensure contractors are aware of the need to protect trees through the use of appropriate working methods.

“Some present raised concerns around communications for the Phase One delivery and they have been taken on board. Work on Phase One took place during the Covid-19 restrictions, which meant at times programmes moved at an unexpected pace.

“We also took the opportunity to share the Phase Three feasibility study, but this is not at a detailed design stage and further consultation will take place as that develops. Issues around the segregation of pedestrians and cyclists, set against the availability of land, have yet to be addressed.

“We hope that this meeting provided a positive start to addressing the communication concerns and a ‘meet the contractors’ event will follow in early autumn, before Phase Two works commence.”