County councillors have today voted to give the green light to Harrogate’s £10.9 million Station Gateway scheme.
The project, along with similar schemes in Selby and Skipton, will now move onto the detailed design stage.
The decision comes despite widespread opposition to the initiative from businesses and residents.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, told a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s executive today that the schemes were the “greatest investment into three of our town centres in decades”.
Read more:
- In depth: What is the economic case for Harrogate’s Station Gateway?
- Business groups claim they’ve been ignored in Station Gateway consultation
- Harrogate set for colourful fountains and WiFi-charging benches
He added that the council had “a mandate” to carry out the gateway scheme after residents responded to its 2019 Harrogate Congestion Study.
Cllr Mackenzie said:
“They [residents] gave a clear message to us. In order to combat congestion they did not want new highways, they wanted better measures for walking and cycling.
“The gateway schemes do exactly that.”
Business and residents criticism
However, the scheme has long been criticised by Harrogate business groups and residents.
A joint letter signed by Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, Harrogate Business Improvement District and Independent Harrogate warned that work on the scheme would create ‘another 12 months of major disruption and misery’ for businesses already struggling to get over covid.
David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, told councillors today:
“Sadly, the views of the business community have been continually ignored. As have those of other key organisations, in particular Harrogate Civic Society and residents’ organisations who believe what is being proposed will not bring the benefits being espoused.”
In response, Cllr Mackenzie said he and the authority had spent “a great deal of time” listening to businesses in the town.
Meanwhile, Harrogate Residents Association called on senior county councillors to “look long and hard” at the objections made against the project.
The county council’s executive voted unanimously to approve the scheme.
What happens now?
The gateway project will now move onto the detailed design stage before being submitted to West Yorkshire Combined Authority as a final business case.
From there, the combined authority will draw on government funding to begin implementing the Harrogate scheme and others, including Skipton and Selby.
County council officials said in a report that they expect to submit a business case for the Harrogate project by May 2022.
A press release issued by North Yorkshire County Council after today’s meeting said work was likely to start ‘later this year’. It added:
“Although the Department for Transport set an initial completion date of March 2023, the department has advised that completion could extend into 2024.”
Crunch vote tomorrow on £10.9m Harrogate Station Gateway
A key decision on progressing the £10.9 million Station Gateway scheme in Harrogate is set to be made tomorrow.
Senior North Yorkshire county councillors have been recommended to approve the plans and move them on to the detailed design stage at a meeting at 11am.
The move could mean that work on the project starts in the spring or summer.
The decision comes despite widespread opposition to the scheme from businesses and residents.
The results of the second phase of consultation, published last month, revealed that of 1,320 people who replied to an online survey, 55% feel negatively, 39% positively and five per cent neutral towards the scheme. One per cent said they didn’t know.
Read more:
- In depth: What is the economic case for Harrogate’s Station Gateway?
- Business groups claim they’ve been ignored in Station Gateway consultation
- Harrogate set for colourful fountains and WiFi-charging benches
Nevertheless the scheme is expected to proceed with only minor amendments.
However, Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, said last week that the project represented a major investment in Harrogate town centre. Similar schemes are in the pipeline for Selby and Skipton.
He said:
“These proposals represent the biggest investment in Harrogate, Selby and Skipton town centres in decades and aim to increase productivity by making it quicker, easier and safer for people to travel around and connect with economic opportunities.”
Calls for a delay
Despite the recommendation, business groups in Harrogate criticised the project and called for a delay to the vote.
In a joint letter to members of the county council’s executive, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, Harrogate Business Improvement District and Independent Harrogate warned that work on the scheme would create ‘another 12 months of major disruption and misery’ for businesses already struggling to get over covid.
The letter added:
“Sadly, the views of the business community have been continually ignored. As have those of other key organisations, in particular Harrogate Civic Society and residents’ organisations who believe what is being proposed will not bring the benefits being espoused.
“The Conservative Party, of which you are a member, prided itself on being the party of business. Sadly, this doesn’t appear to be the case anymore.”
The groups also criticised the county council for publishing an economic case for the project just days before the vote.
They said they have had no opportunity to comment on the paper and called for a vote on the scheme to be delayed until they have had chance to scrutinise it.
The executive meeting can be watched tomorrow on the North Yorkshire County Council website.
Highways chief ‘confident’ Kex Gill scheme can still avoid inquiryNorth Yorkshire’s highways chief has said he is hopeful that a £60 million project to realign Kex Gill will go ahead without a public inquiry.
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” that cost the council £1.4 million.
Following the publication of compulsory purchase orders, the council was faced with two objections which, if unresolved, could have led to a public inquiry.
However, Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, told the Stray Ferret the authority had now resolved one of the complaints.
He said:
“I’m very confident it will avoid an inquiry.”
Cllr Mackenzie previously told the Stray Ferret that he did not see the objections as a “severe risk” to the project.
Read More:
- Public inquiry could delay £60m Kex Gill scheme by 15 months
- A59 Kex Gill ‘instability issue’ cost council £1.4 million
He added that once construction started on the project, work could take up to 18 months to complete.
However, a start date for the scheme has yet to be confirmed.
Barrie Mason, assistant director of highways and transportation at North Yorkshire County Council, said the authority intended to progress the scheme “as soon as possible”.
He said:
Review into Oatlands Drive traffic measures delayed“We remain committed to progressing the essential realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill as quickly as possible.
“The route is a vital east-west link within North Yorkshire, as well as into West Yorkshire, Lancashire and Humber ports, so we are pressing ahead with this scheme to provide a safe, reliable route for residents, businesses and visitors.
“However, there are statutory processes that must be completed before we can move to the next stage of the project. We are currently progressing through these processes. Subject to their satisfactory completion, we will move forward with the scheme as soon as possible.”
A review into traffic measures on Harrogate’s Oatlands Drive has been delayed.
North Yorkshire County Council was due to publish a list of measures to improve walking and cycling in the area last year.
However, Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the council, told the Stray Ferret that publication of the review has been delayed as the council is working with consultants on the matter.
The Oatlands Constituency Feasibility Study is being drawn up after the council ditched proposals to introduce a one-way system on the road following complaints from residents.
It is expected to look into issues such as parking, access to the Saints area and the blocking of the cycle way on Oatlands Drive by cars.
Read more:
- Drivers defy new ‘no parking’ signs on Harrogate Stray
- Harrogate’s Oatlands Drive set to get double yellow lines?
- Controversial Oatlands Drive active travel scheme scrapped
The study was earmarked to be finalised last autumn.
But Cllr Mackenzie said:
“It has been delayed. We are working with our consultants on that.
“It will look at parking and various issues in the Saints area. I am sorry that it has been delayed.”
Concerns over parking in the cycle lane on Oatlands Drive have been raised with the council over many years, Cllr Mackenzie added.
In September, Harrogate Borough Council erected no parking signs warning drivers they face a £100 fine or being towed away if they park on Stray land next to the cycle lane.
However, drivers were later pictured defying the “no parking” signs.

The parking signs which were erected on Oatlands Drive.
One side of Oatlands Drive has double yellow lines but the other side — where cars park — does not.
The county council is working with London-based consultancy firm WSP on the Oatlands study. The company also carried out work on the £60 million Kex Gill realignment project for the authority.
Victoria Avenue cycle scheme expected to hit delays
Another cycling project which is also expected to be delayed is the Victoria Avenue scheme in Harrogate.
The project is set to see cycle lanes implemented in order to connect with the nearby Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood.
It comes as part of a £1.2 million government funded scheme to to get more people walking and cycling as the nation emerges from the pandemic.

The project which has been earmarked for Victoria Avenue in Harrogate.
However, Cllr Mackenzie told the Stray Ferret that the Victoria Avenue part of the project could require Stray land to be exchanged.
This could delay construction of the project as the county council would have to liaise with Harrogate Borough Council to identify land to be exchanged with the Duchy of Lancaster.
Cllr Mackenzie said he had hoped to start work on the Active Travel schemes, which also includes a project on the A59 Harrogate Road, this summer.
Station Gateway petition rejected as council accused of ‘ploughing ahead’ with schemeA petition calling for the Harrogate Gateway project to be halted has been rejected by councillors ahead of a final decision on the £10.9m scheme later this month.
Harrogate Residents Association delivered the 714-signature petition to a North Yorkshire County Council meeting today when the group’s co-founder Anna McIntee accused the authority of “ploughing ahead” with the project without listening to concerns.
Ms McIntee said the scheme – which aims to boost cycling and walking and create a more attractive entrance to the Station Parade area – would have a “radical” impact on traffic and businesses.
But councillors hit back at the claims saying the group has previously opposed “any” projects which promote sustainable travel and that the Gateway will deliver on its aims if approved at an executive meeting on January 25.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, said:
“This is the second petition that has been brought by the Harrogate Residents Association. Similarly last time, there was a petition against our Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme on Beech Grove.
“The petitioners also opposed one of our active travel schemes on Oatlands Drive.
“There is a history here of opposing any schemes we bring forward which try to encourage people out of their motor cars and to use sustainable means of transport.
“The Gateway represents an investment of some £11m in a part of Harrogate town centre which quite frankly does need an uplift.
“We are not simply talking about highways changes here, but fundamental changes to improve an area which most of our visitors who arrive by bus or train see from the moment they arrive.”
Read more:
- Majority are negative towards Harrogate Station Gateway, consultation reveals
- Stray Views: Station Gateway will benefit far more people than cyclists
Cllr Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, also said claims in the petition that the project will “adversely affect every resident in Harrogate” were “demonstrably false”.
He said:
“This project is about ensuring those who wish to use a mode of transport other than the private car have an opportunity to do so.
“It isn’t about banning cars or replacing roads ‘wholesale’ with cycle lanes – this is a giant misinterpretation.”
Included in the project are plans for a part-time pedestrianisation of James Street and reducing Station Parade to one-lane traffic to make way for a cycle lane.
There are also proposals for upgraded junctions, more cycle lanes and improvements to Station Square as well as the One Arch underpass with the aim of providing better links to the train and bus station.
Gateway project ‘a big step forward’
The project has won the support of campaign group Harrogate and District Cycle Action which said in a statement to today’s meeting that the Gateway will be a “big step forward” towards a greener future.
Yet the rejected petition from Harrogate Residents Association still marks a sign of growing opposition against the project which was recently dealt a blow after a latest council-run survey.

Residents were shown the plans at a public meeting at Victoria Shopping Centre last October.
Consultation results released in December revealed 55% of 1,320 respondents felt ‘negative’ about the project, while 39% felt ‘positive’. The remaining 6% were either ‘neutral’ or said they didn’t know.
Speaking at today’s meeting, Ms McIntee questioned how the councils could now push ahead with the project.
She said:
“How do people know this is value for money, especially when the track record of wasted money in Harrogate is terrible.
“There are many people calling for the project to be trailed before £10.9m is committed. We think this is a sensible idea.
“Far too many disconnected pocket plans are occurring, all focused on cycling.”
The Gateway scheme is being funded by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, with a deadline for the awarded £10.9m to be spent by early 2023.
If the project is approved later this month, construction could start in spring 2022.

Nothing generated more debate on the Stray Ferret’s social media this year than schemes to promote cycling in and around Harrogate.
There was the Otley Road cycle path, Beech Grove Low Traffic Neighbourhood, plans to make Oatlands Drive one-way to vehicles and funding for cycle schemes on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate and Harrogate Road in Knaresborough.
But the £10.9 million Station Gateway scheme proved the most controversial of all.
Gateway: petitions and legal threats
The scheme aims to transform the gateway to the town near the bus and train stations by reducing traffic on part of Station Parade to single lane and part pedestrianising James Street while encouraging cycling and walking.

How James Street would look.
With funding for the initiative secured from national government, North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council, which both support the scheme, ran two public consultations this year.
Both revealed a deeply divided town: some welcomed the opportunity to create a greener town by encouraging cycling and reducing car use; others felt the scheme would merely move traffic off the A61 Cheltenham Crescent and onto nearby residential streets, cause delays on Station Parade and damage town centre businesses.
Matters came to a head at a feisty Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting in February when pro-gateway representatives, led by Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, gave a presentation to a sceptical audience.

Don Mackenzie speaking at the chamber meeting.
It ended with businesses threatening to mount a judicial review to halt the process.
The results of the second consultation, published this month, revealed that of 1,320 replies to an online survey, 55% felt negatively, 39% positively and five per cent neutral towards the scheme. One per cent said they didn’t know.

A consultation event in Victoria Shopping Centre.
The chamber has called for the scheme to be halted and two residents groups have filed petitions opposing the project in its current form.
The county council is expected to decide next month whether to proceed with the scheme but the early indications are it will press ahead with final designs in the hope that work will start in spring.
Read more:
- New data reveals dramatic impact of Beech Grove closure on nearby roads
- Majority are negative towards Harrogate Station Gateway, consultation reveals
- ‘Severe weather’ delays Otley Road cycle path in Harrogate
- Victoria Road one-way scheme will stop ‘rat run’, says cycle group
Beech Grove: barriers and cuts across the Stray
North Yorkshire County Council’s decision to ban through traffic on Beech Grove caught many people by surprise in February.
The move aimed to link Beech Grove with the forthcoming Otley Road cycle path and the proposed Victoria Avenue cycling improvements, creating a more connected cycling route around Harrogate.

Tyre tracks on the Stray next to the planters on Beech Grove.
Planters blocking traffic were initially introduced on a six-month trial basis in February but this was extended to 18 months, meaning a decision on whether to extend the scheme will be due after August 2022.
Some vehicles on Beech Grove initially flouted the law by driving on Stray land to bypass the planters.
Data obtained by the Stray Ferret this month following a freedom of information request to the council revealed the move has so far had little impact on cycling journeys on Beech Grove.
It has, however, had a considerable impact on traffic on nearby streets Victoria Road and Queens Road. But the council claims the data reveals there is “no evidence” to support claims that traffic has increased on Cold Bath Road.

Malcolm Margolis on Beech Grove
Harrogate cycling campaigner Malcolm Margolis conducted his own survey, which produced higher figures for cyclists. He claimed it proved the initiative was working well.
The issue looks set to rumble on throughout the year until a decision is made on whether to continue the experiment after August.
Otley Road: work finally begins
Work finally began on the much-delayed cycle path in winter when phase one of the project, from Harlow Moor Road to Arthur’s Avenue, got underway.
North Yorkshire County Council hopes the path will improve safety and alleviate congestion along the Otley Road corridor.

Phase one work gets underway.
Phase one was due to finish before Christmas but the council blamed ‘severe weather’ for another delay and said work should now finish in January.
Phase two, from Harlow Moor Road to Beech Grove, is due to start in March.
It is unclear when phase three, from Harlow Moor Road to Cardale Park, will start. That stretch of the cycle lane relies on developer funding from housing built in the west of Harrogate.
The county council is currently working on various plans, including a feasibility study, for phase three.
Oatlands Drive plans scrapped
North Yorkshire County Council announced in February it had received £1m from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund for four schemes to improve the infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians.
Three of the schemes were for the Harrogate district. They were: the A59 Harrogate Road, Knaresborough, between Badger Mount and Maple Close; Oatlands Drive, Harrogate between Hookstone Road and Knaresborough Road and Victoria Avenue, between the A61 and Station Parade.
The projects for Knaresborough and Victoria Avenue are still due to proceed.
But plans to make Oatlands one-way to traffic and improve the narrow cycle lanes were shelved after 57% of consultation respondents opposed the proposal. They cited the impact on school buses and the creation of a ‘rat run’ on surrounding residential streets at peak times.

Oatlands Drive, Harrogate.
Subsequent traffic proposals for the saints area were also dropped after opposition.
The council said it would commission an Oatlands constituency feasibility study’ to “re-assess opportunities” for infrastructure improvements but so far nothing has been forthcoming.
Traffic continues to park in the cycle lanes on Oatlands Drive. Harrogate Borough Council introduced signs urging motorists not to do it but they appear to have had little impact.

One of the signs on the Stray alongside Oatlands Drive.
New data has revealed the Beech Grove Low Traffic Neighbourhood has had a dramatic impact on traffic on nearby roads — but the number of cyclists using it remains around three an hour.
North Yorkshire County Council closed the Harrogate road, which connects the A61 and Otley Road, to through traffic in February, initially for a six-month trial. It later extended the trial to 18 months.
The move aimed to reduce traffic and encourage cycling and walking on the road, which runs alongside the Stray. Beech Grove was chosen because it would connect to other planned cycle schemes in the town.
But some residents and motorists were angered by the sudden loss of the thoroughfare and said it would just push traffic elsewhere.
The council has released new data about the controversial LTN following a freedom of information request from the Stray Ferret. The council’s press office had refused to provide the information, saying it wanted to wait until the trial had ended.
The council also provided a letter sent in October to residents living close to the LTN. The letter includes data that reveals road traffic has reduced on Beech Grove by as much as 85% since the closure.
The council compared current data with a traffic count on the road undertaken in 2015 that found, on average, 2,712 vehicles a day used its mid-point.
Displaced traffic
The data addresses the question of whether the closure has pushed traffic onto nearby roads.
An automatic traffic counter on Victoria Road found there has been a 230% increase in vehicles using the northern section since the LTN was introduced. In February, 300 vehicles a day used the road. The number increased to 1,058 a day in April then fell slightly in subsequent months.

Information by North Yorkshire County Council. AADT stands for annual average daily traffic.
Queens Road has also seen the number of vehicles using it double from around 500 to over 1,000 a day.
However, in the letter sent to residents the council disputed claims that Cold Bath Road has born the brunt of displaced traffic from the LTN. It said its traffic counter found “no evidence” to support the suggestion that traffic levels have increased.
It said around 8,500 vehicles used Cold Bath Road a day pre-covid 2019 and the number had fallen to 7,200 in 2021. However, it added the the latest numbers from August this year suggested traffic had now returned to pre-covid levels.
Read more:
- Beech Grove closure officially extended until August 2022
- Beech Grove closure to remain in place, despite petition objecting
-
‘It’s working well’: Campaigner counts cyclists using Harrogate’s Beech Grove
The number of cyclists using the Beech Grove LTN remains between two to three an hour, although the number increased in November.
North Yorkshire County Council does not record what time of day cyclists use the road and only has the figures for a 24-hour period.
In August 2020, before the LTN was introduced, around 50 cyclists used the road each day. This has stayed broadly the same throughout 2021.
Council officers believe the automatic traffic count numbers are “light” compared to casual observations they have made when visiting the LTN. The council said it planned to conduct manual surveys on this.
In August, the Stray Ferret joined cycling campaigner Malcolm Margolis, who spent an hour counting cyclists using the LTN on a sunny September afternoon. He counted 21.

Information by North Yorkshire County Council
Conservative county councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:
More roadside weather stations in Harrogate district to help drivers“We are committed to encouraging active travel, easing congestion and improving air quality in Harrogate. Experimental traffic restrictions on Beech Grove and Lancaster Road will run until August 2022. At that point we will compile an extensive report of cyclist data which will span the 18-month period to paint a full comprehensive picture.
“We will consider this alongside the consultation responses, vehicle data, ongoing site observations and other active travel measures in Harrogate before a formal decision will be taken on the way forward.
“Other schemes such as the Otley Road cycle route, the Station Gateway project and the Active Travel Fund proposals for Victoria Avenue are all at various stages of design and construction so when work is complete we anticipate a further increase in cycling.
“A reduction in traffic levels on Beech Grove has resulted in a reduction in the speed of vehicles and an increase in cyclists. More people are likely to cycle – for both commuting and leisure – when improved infrastructure is in place that reduces conflict with vehicles.”
North Yorkshire County Council has installed an extra 13 roadside weather stations on remote roads to alert drivers to treacherous road conditions during bad weather.
It means there is now a total of 23 weather stations across the county, powered by solar and wind technology, that display up-to-date images of road conditions on the council’s website.
The Harrogate district is covered by one new station on the A658 Harrogate bypass as well two others in Low Burton, near Masham, and Greenhow Hill near Pateley Bridge.
The images can be monitored by commuters but will also be used by highways teams to track conditions.
“The introduction of more weather stations over recent months marks a huge step forward in our winter service delivery.
“Many of North Yorkshire’s roads pass over the high ground of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, resulting in dangerous driving conditions at times during the winter months.
“The stations broadcast up-to-date images to anybody who views our website. They allow you to see what road conditions are like before you even leave the house.”
Read more:
- Air pollution risks from Harrogate’s wood-burning stoves ‘cannot be ignored’
- ‘Bold and brave’ changes to prevent second homes in Dales
The county council is encouraging all road users to check the cameras prior to heading out if extreme weather is forecast.
For a list of the weather stations and to view live images click here
The discovery of great crested newts has delayed the A1(M) junction 47 upgrade near Knaresborough — which is now set to overrun by at least six months.
North Yorkshire County Council, the highways authority, also revealed today the scheme was set to cost considerably more than the original £7.7m budget.
It said spending had racked up to £10 million by September and “the latest estimated costs are the subject of detailed discussions with the council’s contractor and will be publicly available once agreement is confirmed”.
It said in a statement:
“Encountering unforeseen poor ground conditions on the southbound slip road has significantly restricted the speed of work taking place and the methods that can be used.
“In addition, the discovery of great crested newts caused a delay as they legally had to be relocated. During the coronavirus pandemic, operatives had to comply with secure site procedures which also extended the timescale.”
Work by contractors Farrans Construction began in September last year to widen three of the four slip roads and install traffic lights to prevent vehicles queueing.
Read more:
- Highways boss: No ‘exact date’ for completion of Otley Road cycle path
- Council ‘confident’ of resolving Kex Gill reroute objections
It was initially due to finish in September but the council said in August that “unforeseen ground conditions” meant it would finish this month.
North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:
“We are looking forward to the completion of this important scheme, which anticipates significant residential and commercial development along the A59 corridor.
“The prolongation of the schedule is not expected to cause disruption to traffic flows at the junction and will be accompanied by additional safety work on the vehicle restraint systems on the A1M slip roads.
“Whilst progress on construction works will depend upon winter weather conditions, we are confident that we can fully complete the scheme by spring.
‘Long-term benefits’
As well as widening the slip roads, traffic signals will be installed on the roundabout to improve traffic flow. Signals will also be added to the T-junction between the A168 and the A59, a short distance from junction 47 on the York side to benefit drivers turning onto the A59 and to improve safety.
To the west of Junction 47, between the A1 and the Flaxby roundabout, a lane will be added for traffic travelling east, so there will be two lanes in each direction between those two roundabouts.
Cllr Andy Paraskos, member for the Ainsty division, added:
“The delays to the project are unfortunate, but unforeseen issues are always a risk on major schemes like this. We can look forward to the long-term benefits from next spring for residents, commuters and visitors for many years to come.”
The project has been funded by £2.47m from the government’s Local Growth Fund, secured by the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, along with contributions from the county council, National Highways and developer Forward Investment LLP.
Harrogate residents deliver petition opposing Station Gateway
Harrogate residents will hand in a petition today opposing the Station Gateway on the final day of consultation on the £10.9 million scheme.
Members of Granvillle Road Area Residents Association organised the signatures in response to fears that re-routing the A61 will increase traffic in nearby residential streets, such as Granville Road, Back Granville Road, Mount Parade, Back Cheltenham Mount and Strawberry Dale Avenue.
Rachael Inchboard, a member of the association, said about 200 of the 250 homes affected by the changes had signed the petition, which will be presented to Harrogate Borough Council.
After the consultation ends, councils supporting the initiative, led by North Yorkshire County Council, are expected to produce a final report summarising consultation outcomes and outlining the next steps.
Businesses in the town are considering applying for a judicial review to halt the scheme.
Read more:
- Harrogate businesses consider legal challenge to Station Gateway
- Station Gateway: the story so far of the £10.9m scheme
- Harrogate residents form group to fight £10.9m Station Gateway
North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, the executive member for access, reiterated his support for the scheme. He said:
“I do not believe that the gateway scheme for Harrogate should now be dropped because of opposition from certain businesses.
“Whilst their views, and indeed the local town centre economy, are very important to us, there are also the views of many other sectors and persons to consider. The findings of the latest round of consultation will be important to us too, as are the many thousands of views expressed in the Harrogate congestion study public engagement.
“I have nothing further to say about legal action. If an individual wishes to begin such a process, we shall be ready to respond.”
What is the Harrogate Station Gateway?
The Harrogate scheme is one of three projects worth a combined £42m in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby funded by the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, which encourages cycling and walking.
They are being delivered in partnership by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Craven District Council and Selby District Council.
A consultation on the revised designs ends today. It is anticipated that work in Harrogate will begin by the middle of next year.