Don Mackenzie Archives - Page 7 of 8

Stray bollard planned for Beech Grove road closure

Highways bosses are to apply to erect a bollard on the Stray to stop cars driving over it to avoid the Beech Grove road closure in Harrogate.

Last week, the Stray Ferret reported cars were driving over the Stray to get around the new closure, which was put in place to block through traffic and create a Low Traffic Neighbourhood.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, described it as “extremely poor behaviour” and added that drivers were committing an offence.

Some people have taken to social media to report alleged incidents of drivers going over the Stray to get around the planters.

Andy, I have clear pics, including reg, of a Range Rover that's driven on the Stray to go round the Beech Grove planters. Who can I send them to for follow-up? pic.twitter.com/demf0Iwa8O

— David Peckett (@dsp99t) February 22, 2021

In a tweet, Cllr Mackenzie said the county council, which is the highways authority, would apply to Harrogate Borough Council to place a bollard on the Stray to block such manoeuvres.

He added the authority had already erected a bollard on the footpath side to prevent cars from mounting the pavement.

The borough council said it had yet to receive a request for the bollard, but confirmed that such a plan would require approval under the Stray Act.

Beech Grove is closed to through traffic for six months before the county council, which is consulting on the scheme, decides whether to make it permanent.

In a letter to the Stray Ferret, Chris Granville, a resident on Beech Grove, said it had been “the most thoughtless implementation imaginable”.

He said:

“The signs are completely inadequate to inform the motorists of the change so it is almost inevitable that drivers will come up against the barriers.

“It would have been so easy to display reasonable size signs in good time, but no, it has been implemented as a motorist trap. It would also have helped if there was a partial barrier at the town end of Beech Grove, outside Wentworth Court, being a clear indicator that entry was for residents and parking only.

“Whoever has done this should show a little respect for road users.”

Consultation on £8m Harrogate redevelopment set to begin

A four-week consultation will launch next week on redeveloping Station Parade in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire County Council secured £7.8m in funding from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund last year to create a “gateway” to connect the bus and railway stations with the town centre.

A media briefing to discuss the proposals and forthcoming consultation will be held online tomorrow.

The money awarded in March has to be spent within three years and NYCC’s executive member for highways Cllr Don Mackenzie told the Stray Ferret that building work could begin on the scheme before the end of this year.

The public will be asked to contribute ideas for the project, which aims to promote sustainable transport.

Cllr Mackenzie said one idea could involve building cycle lanes on Station Parade but he added there would be no ban on cars.

Plans for a ‘station gateway’ have been in the works for several years and in 2016 Harrogate Borough Council published an artist’s impression of how it might look:

The plan fits into a wider strategy for Harrogate drawn up by the borough council in its 2016 Town Centre Strategy and Masterplan.

It said:

“Harrogate’s railway station and adjoining facilities, including the town centre’s bus station, have long been identified as an area for improvement. The current buildings and infrastructure detract from the overall quality of the town centre environment and provide a poor gateway for visitors.”

Could a Claro Road rail station solve Harrogate’s congestion?

A Harrogate conservative councillor has suggested a rail station could be built near Claro Road to ease the town’s congestion problems.

Paul Haslam, who lives in Bilton and represents the area on both North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate District Council, is gathering support for the idea.

He thinks a station could be built near the footbridge at Dragon Junction between Harrogate and Starbeck stations on the Leeds to York line.

He told the Stray Ferret the station would be a “win-win” for Harrogate because it could reduce traffic congestion on Skipton Road, improve links to the Claro Court Business Centre and improve the quality of life for local residents.

He said it would also promote cycling because of its proximity to the Nidderdale Greenway.

Cllr Haslam said:

“I am convinced this would make significant inroads to congestion on Skipton Road, our quality of air, our reduction in CO2 emissions and most importantly the quality of life to those who live in this area.

“It should also improve links to the business park and therefore help local prosperity and jobs. Adding a supermarket would also add jobs whilst improving the facilities in the area.”

Cllr Haslam said he has had conversations about the idea with North Yorkshire County Council, which would need to undertake a feasibility study to determine costs.

The government is keen to open new rail stations and last year awarded funding to help bring back ‘forgotten’ stations axed in the Beeching cuts during the 1960s.

A new rail station opened in Wales earlier this week at an estimated cost of £8 million, but it took over 11 years to develop the plans.

The latest station to open in the Harrogate district was Hornbeam Park in 1992, which was used by 400,000 passengers in 2019/20 and is a popular stop for commuters and visitors.

Don Mackenzie, executive member for highways at North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret he supported the idea of a Claro Road station.

However, he said that due to a lack of funding the chances of it being built were slim, and that any final decision would be made by Network Rail.

He added:

“Just as I supported Hornbeam Park 30 years ago I would be supportive of this, but I can’t see it happening any time soon.”

Consultation launched for three Harrogate cycling schemes

North Yorkshire County Council has launched a public consultation for three schemes to improve cycling infrastructure in Harrogate.

In December, NYCC accepted £1,011,750 as part of a five-year, £2 billion programme by the Department for Transport to improve walking and cycling infrastructure.

The money will be spent on three projects in Harrogate plus one in Whitby.

The public can have their say on the proposals here. The consultation will close on February 23.

The schemes under consideration in Harrogate are:

Oatlands Drive, Harrogate: segregated cycle lanes along an existing cycle route, improved crossing facilities at four locations and other improvements;
A59, Maple Close, Harrogate to Knaresborough: segregated cycle lanes along an existing cycle route and improved crossing facilities at either end;
Victoria Avenue, Harrogate, Princes Square to Station Parade: pedestrian crossing improvements, segregated cycling infrastructure and bike storage facilities.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, said:

“To help us to develop our proposals, we are inviting local people to give us their views on the proposed corridors and potential improvements. Detailed designs will follow, taking account of the feedback we receive, and we will consult further on those later in March.

“The grant comes with strict conditions. Schemes must be delivered quickly, should reallocate road space from vehicles in favour of cyclists and pedestrians, and offer alternatives to existing, well-used bus routes.”

Senior councillors defend closure of Harrogate’s Beech Grove

Senior councillors have defended a controversial decision to close a Harrogate street to through traffic to encourage people to cycle and walk.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is the highways authority, wrote to residents on February 1 saying it planned to block the junction of Beech Grove and Lancaster Road with planters.

The experimental order will take effect on a six-month trial basis on February 15 as part of a scheme to create a low traffic neighbourhood in the area.

The sudden announcement generated a mixed response on social media, with many people questioning whether it would merely lead to more traffic on nearby streets, such as Cold Bath Road, Victoria Road and Queen’s Road.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, said the order was one of a series of measures the authority had proposed to reduce traffic congestion.

He added views would be taken into account when a decision was taken on whether to extend the closure in six months time.

Asked whether the changes to Beech Grove would just move traffic elsewhere, Cllr Mackenzie told the Stray Ferret:

“That tends to happen, but what we are trying to do is trying to reduce the overall vehicle numbers and encourage people not to use their cars.

“Everyone is being encouraged to travel more actively and this is part of that.”

‘Radical measures needed’

Work to install the signage, bollards and planters will take three days from February 15, weather permitting.

Designated parking bays for ambulances will be installed on Trinity Road.

The changes to Beech Road, along with the forthcoming Otley Road cycle route, could link to create a better connected cycle route into the town centre.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access at North Yorkshire County Council.

The county council will spend £9,954 of its own funds on the Beech Grove scheme.

Cllr Mackenzie said this was because the council only received about £133,000 – half of the maximum possible available – when it applied to a government fund for active travel.

Cllr Richard Cooper, the leader of Harrogate Borough Council who also represents Harrogate central on the county council, said radical measures were needed to solve traffic congestion.

“I know that some local residents are sceptical about these new sustainable transport measures. I understand that and I respect that view while not agreeing with it.

“The fact of the matter is that we cannot pretend that traffic congestion, poor air quality, a diminishing environment and climate change can be solved without radical changes to our transport infrastructure and our personal travel habits.”

Other proposed county council measures to ease traffic congestion, include a park and ride bus service, Killinghall bypass and traffic calming measures in Bilton.

The authority was also been awarded £1 million for three cycling schemes in Harrogate, of which one will include £250,000 for cycling measures on Victoria Avenue.

Closure met with mixed response

News of the changes to Beech Grove met with mixed reaction on the Stray Ferret Facebook and Twitter accounts.

One person said:

“So how do you get to Otley Road if you are coming out of Victoria Ave junction with West Park? You’d have to go right up Cold Bath Road to the grammar school – much further.”

Another said:

“So to ease congestion, every car now has to go via Prince of Wales roundabout to Cold Bath Road junction? I’m not an expert but they’ll be the same amount of cars on the roads regardless, so I don’t get how shutting roads anywhere is the answer?”

However, others welcomed the council’s decision and said it would improve the quality of life.

“Excellent idea. Should be just the start of many of the same. Turn the Stray into a true part of the community as opposed to an island surrounded by cars.”

Killinghall bypass ‘yesterday’s solution’ to congestion

Proposals for a £20 million Killinghall bypass have been criticised by environmental group Zero Carbon Harrogate.

North Yorkshire County Council has put forward plans to build a bypass, with a likely route from the Old Spring Well pub on the A59 to the roundabout in Ripley that goes to Pateley Bridge and Ripon.

It would be one of range of measures, including a park and ride bus scheme and enhanced cycling routes, to ease congestion in the Harrogate district.

But Rod Beardshall, transport lead at ZCH, told the Stray Ferret awareness of climate change had increased locally and building a major new road would “send out the wrong message”.

Mr Beardshall described the decision to refuse Harrogate Spring Water’s expansion plans into Rotary Wood as a “tipping point” for the town, where environmental concerns outweighed other factors.

Rod Beardshall, from Zero Carbon Harrogate

He called a bypass “yesterday’s solution” to tackling congestion:

“It would take years to build and as the climate situation moves on the idea would end up being more anachronistic.”

Killinghall has been bedevilled by traffic for decades and the problem has worsened recently as new housing developments have swelled the size of the village.

Mr Beardshall highlighted a 2017 study by countryside charity CPRE that suggests new roads actually increase traffic rather than ease congestion.

He described roads “a very clumsy tool to address congestion” and called on the council to focus on better bus services and walking and cycling access for Killinghall. He even suggested charging motorists to drive through the village:

“If you build a road, it’s there forever.

“By thinking about a bypass you take the eye off the ball for more imaginative solutions.”

Last month, councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, said the bypass would ease congestion in the “fastest-growing village in the county”.

He said:

“We have a duty to respond to the many residents and local members who feel that they want to take some of this traffic out of their village.

“That includes 44-tonne lorries, which could not be replaced by a person walking or cycling. That is why we firmly believe that certainly further consideration of a bypass to take this traffic out of the village is needed.”

Work on £60m Kex Gill road set to begin in summer

Work on the £60m overhaul of the Kex Gill section of the A59 between Harrogate and Skipton is set to begin this summer.

It was announced today that the UK government has declined to have the final say on the plans, which clears the way for the project to begin.

The new road, which is expected to take a year to complete, will divert traffic away from the landslip-prone part of the route.

North Yorkshire County Council’s planning and regular functions committee backed the proposals this month.

However, no decision was made after Lewis Williams, representing mining firm Sibelco, requested the application be given final approval by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick.

Mr Jenrick has now declined to ‘call in’ the decision, which the council today said meant it can proceed with plans to begin this summer.

The government has committed up to £56 million for the scheme; the council will spend £4.95 million.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the council, said:

“The decision by the Secretary of State is very good news indeed, leaving the way open to the commencement of this important scheme.

“The A59 at Kex Gill has been subject to closures in the recent past because of land slips, which have disrupted travel, caused long diversions through West Yorkshire, and have been costly.

“The realignment of this trans-Pennine route provides much better connectivity for all road users and is a major boost to the economy of North Yorkshire.”

Cllr Stanley Lumley, member for Pateley Bridge division, said:

“Locals, commuters and visitors will all benefit from enhanced safety and reliability of the important trans-Pennine route.”

Harrogate park and ride could be built in Pannal

Two locations in Pannal have been identified as sites for a new Harrogate park and ride bus service.

A park and ride is among measures proposed by North Yorkshire County Council to reduce traffic and ease congestion around Harrogate.

Other schemes include a Killinghall bypass, new cycle paths and traffic calming in Bilton.

Land near Pannal Golf Club and land near Buttersyke Bar roundabout south of Pannal have been chosen as park and ride sites.

County councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said a key factor was the sites’ location on the 36 bus route that runs regularly between Leeds, Harrogate and Ripon. He said:

“One of the great costs of a park and ride is the shuttle bus, which would have to be contracted out.

“If you can tie it in with a scheduled service it would mean you could avoid this cost.”

Pannal is about three miles from Harrogate. Cllr Mackenzie said a more central location might not work as well because if motorists had to battle through town centre traffic to get to the park and ride they might not think the service was worth bothering with and park in town instead.

Cllr Mackenzie said the park and ride idea “could happen fairly quickly” depending on developments.

It is one of the main projects in the council’s Harrogate transport improvement programme.

Perhaps the programme’s most ambitious and controversial proposal is for a Killinghall bypass.

Cllr Mackenzie said the likely route would be from the Old Spring Well pub on the A59 and then south and east of Killinghall to join the A61 at the roundabout in Ripley that goes to Pateley Bridge and Ripon.

It would not touch the western side, where the Nidderdale Greenway is located, he added.

Overnight closures planned for A1 junction 47 upgrade

A series of overnight closures, beginning this month, will affect motorists using junction 47 of the A1 (M).

A £7.7m North Yorkshire County Council project to upgrade the junction, near Flaxby, began in September and is due to continue until autumn.

Slip roads from the A1 (M) will be closed for four weeks from 8pm to 6am Mondays to Fridays, beginning on January 25.

The council, which gave the update today, said not all slip roads will be affected at the same time.

The upgrade will ease congestion, improve road safety and support the development of local towns, such as Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The council said the number of housing developments in the area also increased the need for these works to improve connections across the county.

Three of the roundabout’s four slip roads will be widened to increase capacity and traffic lights will be installed.

Following completion of this work, the upgrading of the A59/A168 slip road will necessitate a full closure of the slip road.

This could be in place for up to 16 weeks, but the council said “every effort will be made to minimise the duration of the work”.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access and member for Harrogate Saltergate, said:

“At busy times, congestion is an issue at this junction, particularly for traffic coming off the southbound carriageway of the A1.

“We understand that the closures will cause inconvenience and necessitate significant diversions for some drivers. Our contractor will do everything they can to ensure closures are as short as possible.

“We apologise for the disruption and thank drivers in advance for their patience during what will be short-term inconvenience for long-term improvement to traffic flow.”

The £7.7 million project has received £2.47 million of funding from the governments’s Local Growth Fund, plus contributions from the county council, Highways England and Harrogate-based developer Forward Investment LLP.

Rise in number of deaths on North Yorkshire’s roads

The number of people killed in road collisions in North Yorkshire increased last year from 32 to 37, according to the county’s latest annual report on road safety.

The report, released yesterday by North Yorkshire County Council, compares statistics from 2018 and 2019.

Although fatalities increased, the number of people seriously injured saw a nine per cent reduction from 329 to 298.

The total number of people injured in road collisions also decreased from 1,750 to 1,445 — a fall of 17 per cent.

Road collisions have been on a downward trend since 2002.

The report also reveals there was a 27 per cent decrease in the number of children injured in collisions. The number fell from 111 in 2018 to 81 in 2019. No children were killed in road accidents in 2019.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:

“Each death on the county’s roads is one too many, so it is sad to see an increase in the number of people killed in collisions and highlights the importance of all of us taking responsibility for travelling safely.

“We have been consulting on plans for a series of works to be financed by the Government’s safer roads fund, which seeks to address issues on the 50 A-roads identified as being the most dangerous in the country.”

“Our officers have already delivered a range of improvement projects on those roads in the county which qualified for investment and have been reviewing your feedback on other proposals which we are hopeful can come to fruition soon. We are confident these improvements would have a positive effect on future road collision statistics.”

Cllr Mackenzie acknowledged the 2020 statistics may have been affected by reduced traffic levels due to covid restrictions but he added the council was confident of continuing the downward trend in accident numbers.

Schools were encouraged in 2020 to take up national and local campaigns, such as “be safe, be seen” and mobile phone pedestrian safety.

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‘Radical measures needed’

Closure met with mixed response

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