Residents demand progress on west Harrogate infrastructure plan

Residents’ groups in the west of Harrogate have expressed “total dissatisfaction” with infrastructure improvements in the area.

Seven parish councils and residents’ associations shared their frustrations with the lack of progress as thousands of new homes are built.

They said they had been promised a draft document almost a year ago but were yet to see it, or any other progress.

Rene Dziabas, chairman of Harrogate and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association, spoke on behalf of the groups at North Yorkshire Council‘s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee last week.

He said:

“At the time, we expressed the view that much of this work came over as incoherent and lacking any real structure. We were assured that a complete infrastructure strategy and associated delivery schedule would be made available in October of last year.

“Council representatives assured us that these documents would include clear objectives, clear deliverables, timings, supporting data and financial costings. This was a council commitment, not one initiated by us as stakeholders.

“Yet here we are in mid-2023 and the latest position is that consultants are still looking at the viability of what previous consultants have proposed.So far we have seen no hard detail whatsoever in relation to the infrastructure strategy and delivery schedule and no offer of meaningful engagement with the community.

“Recent correspondence would seem to indicate further delays therefore our overall concern is that this work when it eventually emerges will deliver an ineffective and inadequate package.”

Mr Dziabas said there were 4,000 new homes being built around the west of Harrogate, “the equivalent of a small town”.

Residents were concerned about the impact not just on roads, but on medical facilities, schools, buses and other infrastructure.

He said the local plan, which sets out where development can happen, was being put together more than a decade ago, yet there had been no changes to infrastructure to cope with the building that had already taken place.

He added:

“The reality is that we are now some years on and we see nothing that convinces us that there’s any sort of plan in place that will help to mitigate strains on the infrastructure to the west of Harrogate.”

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In response, NYC’s planning and transport departments issued a joint statement, which was read out by meeting clerk Mark Codman.

It said the local plan and related documents set a “clear framework” for development, while section 106 agreements with developers were used to leverage investment for infrastructure improvements.

A review and costings exercised had been commissioned by the previous councils, it said, and would provide “clarification and certainty”. It added:

“The complex nature of the work means it is not yet complete. Officers are prioritising this work, however the nature of strategic projects does sometimes involve unforeseen delays.”

Cllr Chris Aldred, who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley for the Liberal Democrats, said he was in agreement with the residents.

He recalled hearing a similar call for progress at a meeting a year before, and said he was frustrated to be in the same position now. He added:

“Really, we do need to get our act together on these matters, because people are living in a state of flux where nothing is happening and it’s not fair to the residents.

“I strongly want the executive to get on top of this. I know we’ve had the distraction of local government reorganisation and eight councils into one, but that has now been achieved and we really need to move on with these matters.

“i don’t want to be sitting here in a year’s time and having similar presentations from parish councils.”

Harrogate’s Otley Road cycleway: next phase looks set to be shelved

The second phase of Harrogate’s Otley Road cycleway looks set to be scrapped in the face of continued hostility towards the scheme.

The results of a consultation on options for phase two of the project are due to be released within days.

But Cllr Keane Duncan, executive member for highways and transportation at North Yorkshire County Council,  said none of the three options put forward had been well received and he was asking “serious questions” about whether to proceed. He said:

“None of the options have found significant favour with members of the public, including pedestrians and cyclists – the exact people this infrastructure is supposed to benefit. That for me is quite striking.

“If we’ve got pedestrians and cyclists, who are supposed to be the intended users of this infrastructure, saying to us ‘please think again’ that does not fill me with reassurance that we are looking at this in the right way so I’m very reluctant for us to repeat some of the issues that have arisen in phase one again with phase two.”

Phase one of the scheme, between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road, finished a year ago. The value of the contract was £827,000.

Otley Road cycle path

Some of the cycle path is shared with pedestrians.

It was widely criticised for the way the cycle path zigzags between the highway and shared paths with pedestrians. Rene Dziabas, chairman of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association, described it as like “crazy golf construction”.

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Cllr Duncan said phase two would face the same challenges: the road’s narrow width, protected trees and Stray land and therefore would not be fully segregated or compliant with current government recommendations for cycle infrastructure design.

However, there is still a chance the third phase, leading up to Cardale Park, could proceed.

He said:

“We get hit over the head all the time for schemes that are not compliant. This isn’t. So I want to look seriously at ‘have we looked at this in the round and is there any alternative option that we might need to look at?’. Is this going to achieve the benefits for active travel which it is intended to?

“I am more than prepared for us to deliver active travel schemes in the face of opposition. They are never going to be universally popular.

“But what I’m not prepared to do is to deliver an active travel scheme for the sake of delivering an active travel scheme, that the intended beneficiaries — walkers and cyclists — are saying to me, ‘please think again, this doesn’t make sense and we are not going to use it’.”

Was it a mistake to start?

Asked whether the scheme, which dates back well before Cllr Duncan took up his post last year, was a mistake, he replied:

“I don’t know all the various considerations that went into the proposals. Where things maybe went wrong is that we tried to get the mixture of segregated where we could and shared use where that wasn’t possible. That has led to quite a disjointed cycle route.

“I’m reflecting on that feedback and certainly where there have been problems – and it’s fair to say problems have been created with phase one – I would not want on my watch to repeat those same mistakes.”

Cllr Duncan said funding for the scheme was secured from the government’s National Productivity Investment Fund, which has to be spent on easing congestion in western Harrogate rather than specifically on cycle schemes and if the Otley Road project does not go ahead it would continue to be used for this purpose.

Tomorrow Keane Duncan gives an update on the Harrogate Station Gateway and on Saturday we will publish a full interview in which he talks about Harrogate district transport schemes.

 

‘Nightmare’ and ‘flawed’: Harrogate’s Otley Road cycle path under further fire

Harrogate’s Otley Road cycle path project has come under further fire from residents who have described the first phase as a “nightmare” and “fundamentally flawed”.

Rene Dziabas, chairman of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association, said the group carried out a survey of residents and businesses along the street and that feedback was “very heavily negative” with only two positive comments received.

He told a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee today that serious safety concerns were raised over the works completed so far which were also described as like “crazy golf construction”.

He said:

“The general feeling is that this scheme will do very little – if anything – to offset the huge housing to the west of Harrogate and that nothing proposed so far convinces us that the core traffic problem will in any way be mitigated.”

Mr Dziabas called on the county council to carry out a “meaningful and proper” consultation on the next two stages of the cycle path which is facing yet more delays after first securing funding in 2017.

A first stage opened to cyclists at the start of this year, however, it has yet to be fully completed after a safety audit found faults with the works carried out.
Louise Neal, transport planning team leader at the county council, told today’s meeting that the “necessary amendments” to the cycle path would now be made.

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However, it is currently unclear what works this will involve and when they will be completed with contractors hoping to start in early November.
Ms Neal also said a consultation on phase two of the project will be held this month and that residents and businesses will be able to meet with the designers to share their views. She said

“This additional engagement and further consultation is to ensure that all user groups and residents’ views have been carefully considered.”

Lack of progress

The fresh criticism of the county council’s progress comes as other active travel schemes have yet to produce final designs despite being awarded government cash almost two years ago.

This includes cycling and walking improvements on Oatlands Drive, Victoria Avenue and the A59 near Knaresborough.

Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said his “major concern” was that this accumulation of delayed projects could mean the county council fails to secure future funding for other improvements to tackle Harrogate’s congested roads. He told the meeting:

“We believe this lack of progress will impact on potential future funding bids.”

“We also see the major problem as a lack of an officer who leads in the cycle agenda in the local area and who has local knowledge and authority to deliver these schemes.”

The county council previously said designs for the Victoria Avenue and A59 schemes – which include cycle lanes, improved crossings and reduced speed limits – were “likely” to be revealed this summer.

This has now been pushed back until at least the New Year.

For the Oatlands Drive plans, the county council previously said a consultation was “likely to start soon after” Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend in June.

This is now scheduled to take place this month after original plans for a one-way traffic system were scrapped after a backlash from residents.

Cycle path, housing and more on agenda for Harlow Hill residents

Residents of the Harlow Hill and Pannal Ash areas of Harrogate will gather tomorrow night to discuss the issues they face as a community.

From housing developments and cycle lanes to the upcoming reorganisation of local government in North Yorkshire, Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association (HAPARA) has a busy agenda for its AGM.

Chairman Rene Dziabas said the long-delayed West Harrogate Parameters Plan – setting out a plan for infrastructure to support thousands of new homes in the area – was likely to be among the topics generating the most interest.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“We still have over-riding concerns about the infrastructure for these successive developments – public transport, paths, cycle paths, hospitals, schools.

“We work with a number of parish councils and they hold similar views to us.”

This will be the first time HAPARA has held an in-person AGM since 2019, thanks to the covid pandemic. In the intervening three years, many new households have arrived in the area, and the group is keen to welcome them alongside long-standing residents.

Though it encourages people to sign up as members, anyone can go along to the AGM and, unlike a parish council, it has no defined geographical boundary, so is open to anyone who wants to join.

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As well as the changes that have taken place in the area in recent years, the group will look at what is ahead for local residents.

While phase one of the Otley Road cycle path has been largely completed, and phase two is scheduled to begin “shortly”, according to North Yorkshire County Council, phase three – from Harlow Moor Road to Cardale Park – remains contentious among residents, according to a survey of residents by HAPARA this year.

Mr Dziabas said he hoped the new North Yorkshire Council would keep to its word of engaging added:

“We are also trying to introduce some local issues. A couple of residents are doing a presentation on low traffic neighbourhoods.

“If we can get something like that, an idea from grass roots, and if we can make the beginnings of something, that would be nice.

“Money is going to be tight and there is going to be less money around over the next few years than there is now.

“If you engage with local organisations, the people you are engaging with are doing it for free and there’s a lot of knowledge and a lot of professional people in those organisations. If you keep an open mind, you can tap into it.’

The HAPARA AGM takes place at Harlow Community Centre (The Green Hut) on Harlow Avenue on Wednesday, October 12 from 7pm. The full agenda is available here.

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.”

Under-fire infrastructure plans for west Harrogate will cost taxpayers £25,000

Two key planning documents which have been hit by delays and dismay ahead of a huge urban expansion in west Harrogate will cost taxpayers £25,000, it has been revealed.

The West Harrogate Parameters Plan and a delivery strategy set out how the area’s infrastructure and services will cope with 4,000 new homes.

They have been produced by Harrogate Borough Council, which has worked with North Yorkshire County Council, housing developers and consultancy firm Hyas.

After being forced to defend the plan and announcing delays for the delivery strategy, the borough council has now confirmed Hyas will be paid £25,000.

The council also said the delivery strategy will be signed off in autumn – more than two-and-a half years after a government inspector ordered the creation of the plans.

David Siddans, secretary of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association, said he has been frustrated by the “snail-like progress” of the plans and that he has “little confidence” they will address concerns over areas including traffic congestion which is already a major problem.

He said:

“We are concerned that reorganisation of local government, lack of money and pressure from developers will force developments through with inadequate infrastructure, leaving the community to pick up the pieces.

“At the very least the combination of the parameters plan and infrastructure delivery schedule should address the massive growth on the western edge and go some way to mitigating against existing problems.

“In other words things should be no worse.

“We remain unconvinced that this will be the case.”

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Howard West, chairman of Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council, said:

“It remains to be seen whether the £25.000 spent will prove cost-effective.

“As all matters have been handled without serious interim consultation with stakeholders, we won’t even know if Hyas’s recommendations have been followed.”

Once complete, both the delivery strategy and parameters plan will be used together to shape decisions on how west Harrogate will cope with 2,500 new homes – although as many as 4,000 properties are set to be built in the wider area by 2035.

There are proposals for two new primary schools and four playing pitches, as well as two new local centres for shops and health services.

Land has also been designated for other businesses, as well as new cycle lanes, footpaths and bus routes.

As part of the delivery strategy, a review of existing infrastructure is being carried out ahead of the document being published in draft form during a public consultation.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson described Hyas as a “specialist town planning, master planning and place-making consultancy” firm which was commissioned “based on their experience of other complex development schemes”.

The council spokesperson said.

“The cost of this specialist consultancy is £25,000,

“The West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy document is part of their commission and is a joint piece of work – in collaboration with the borough council, county council and promoters – to provide the long term co-ordination of infrastructure across the west Harrogate sites.

“The document will be signed-off in the autumn as it requires the input from a piece of work regarding transport mitigation which won’t be concluded until then.”

Key planning document delayed for west Harrogate residents facing 4,000 new homes

Residents worried that west Harrogate won’t be able to cope with thousands of new homes are facing further delays to see another key document on how under strain services should be improved.

The West Harrogate Parameters Plan was met with dismay when it was approved by Harrogate Borough Council in February after almost two years of work between council officers and housing developers.

It was criticised as a “developers’ charter” by locals who said the long-delayed plan failed to recognise the pressure that around 2,500 new homes will put on the area’s roads, schools and health services.

And now a delivery strategy on when proposed improvements will be carried out and how much they will cost has been hit by yet more delays.

The West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy was due for completion in May – but the borough council has now failed to say whether it will be approved before the end of the year.

Cllr Howard West, chairman of Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council, said he had “little faith” in the outcome of the delivery strategy, but added he was prepared to accept the latest delays if it “yields the infrastructure we need”.

He said:

“Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council has offered to cooperate with Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council from day one regarding highway infrastructure for the new settlement on Harrogate’s Western Arc.

“Our offers of continuous involvement have constantly been rebuffed with a ‘we know best’ attitude that allows only a token consultation once the draft has already been made.”

West Harrogate was identified for major expansion during the creation of the district’s Local Plan when a government inspector ordered the parameters plan to be made.

Once complete, both the delivery strategy and parameters plan will be used together to shape decisions on how west Harrogate will cope with 2,500 new homes – although as many as 4,000 properties are set to be built in the wider area by 2035.

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There are proposals for two new primary schools and four playing pitches, as well as two new local centres for shops and health services.

Land has also been designated for other businesses, as well as new cycle lanes, footpaths and bus routes.

As part of the delivery strategy, a review of existing infrastructure is being carried out ahead of the document being published in draft form during a public consultation.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said it aims to publish the draft document in mid-July, but did not say when it could be signed off.

The spokesperson said:

“Since the completion of the West Harrogate Parameters Plan, we have been working with our appointed consultants to prepare the West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy document.

“This has included topic based discussions with technical officers on matters such as education, sports and green space, transport and health alongside phasing and trajectory input from site promoters.

“We are currently in the process of pulling this information together to provide a document to help the long term coordination of infrastructure across the west Harrogate sites.

“We intend to hold an information session with local stakeholder groups in mid-July to present the draft West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy document, with a further session scheduled for autumn before the document is signed off.”

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.”

Calls to reduce ‘plethora’ of Otley Road cycle path signs

The Otley Road cycle path has seen drastic alterations to the road and pavement but the sheer number of signs erected has been called confusing and damaging to Harrogate’s visual appearance.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is behind the £2m scheme, has erected 37 new signs to let cyclists, pedestrians and motorists know where the path starts and ends.

It means blue and white signs dominate the eyeline on a stretch of road in Harrogate that is less than half a mile long.

Critics of the scheme suggest if the cycle path had a better or more streamlined design, it wouldn’t need so many signs.

‘It’s confusing’

Harrogate Civic Society was formed in 1971 with an aim to preserve the appearance of the town.

Members of the group walked the cycle path route last week and were disappointed by the volume of signs.

Its chair, Stuart Holland, said the group would like to see some of them removed.

He added:

“We think there are too many signs. We’d welcome a reduction. We think there needs to be more clarity about where cyclists go as it is confusing. As a society, we encourage less signage in the town.”

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‘Street clutter’

Otley Road resident Chris Dicken has been an outspoken critic of the scheme since it was first proposed several years ago.

He said he warned North Yorkshire County Council about the number of signs but “they didn’t listen”.

He said:

“My argument is that it’s not much of a design if you need that many signs to alert people to the cycle path and then of course many cyclists either don’t understand it’s a one way system or choose to ignore it. That’s not even taking account of the impact on the environment in a town that is proud of its heritage and its green credentials.

“Most towns are looking to reduce street clutter. Here, North Yorkshire County Council are adding lots to it. This is all in a short distance too, with many more to come for the next phase.

“To me, as a main artery into the town, Otley Road should be of a high standard and make visitors welcome with a tree-lined boulevard. Instead we get grass and tree removal and a plethora of blue and white signs. It has certainly disturbed the ambience of my road.”

Mr Dicken will meet North Yorkshire County Council next month as a representative of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association to discuss the next phase of the cycle path, which will connect Arthur’s Avenue to Beech Grove.

He is pessimistic that the number of signs will be reduced for phase 2 because the route has already been designed.

However, he is more hopeful for phase 3, which will connect the route up towards Cardale Park. Mr Dicken hopes to see a “better-designed” route and far fewer signs.

Council’s response

Melisa Burnham, North Yorkshire County Council’s highways area manager, said:

“All signs within the Otley Road cycle way scheme are as indicated in the designs presented at the public engagement event in 2019 and subsequently published on our website.

“Appropriate signage is important in mitigating the risk of conflict between cyclists and pedestrians using the space. The signs, all of which are within highway land, were identified as necessary to the improvement scheme.

“We will be inviting stakeholders, including representatives of the residents’ association and the civic society, to a workshop in May to discuss detailed designs for phase two of the scheme. The workshop will also present details of the wider Harrogate sustainable transport packages, recognising the key links to the Otley cycle route that will be made in the future.

“Mr Dicken has previously raised concerns about aspects of the scheme, including conflicts between road users, though not signage. We have corresponded about those concerns. After the engagement event in 2019, our designers met Mr Dicken on site to discuss the designs in detail.

“We have invited Mr Dicken to meet officers again after next month’s workshop, should he wish to discuss any of his concerns further.”

Harlow Hill and Pannal Ash residents bracing themselves for ’15 years of disruption’

Residents in Harlow Hill and Pannal Ash have been told to expect 15 more years of disruption due to a wave of new housing developments in the area.

Concerns about traffic and disruption linked to around 4,000 new homes dominated Harlow & Pannal Ash Residents’ Association’s (Hapara) annual general meeting this week.

Much of the discussion was centered around the 770-home Windmill Farm development after plans were submitted by Anwyl Land and national housebuilder Redrow Homes this month.

The homes and a new primary school would be built on green fields on the opposite side of the road from the charity-run nursery Horticap and behind RHS Harlow Carr.

David Siddans, Hapara’s secretary, told the room that a traffic report submitted by the developers had “seriously underestimated” the number of cars that are likely to leave the site during rush hour.

The report suggested that 450 vehicles will leave in the morning.

Mr Siddans warned the current road network around Otley Road will struggle to cope with Windmill Farm traffic as well as cars from large housing schemes at Bluecoat Wood, Whinney Lane and Pennypot Lane.

He said:

“They have seriously underestimated the total impact on the highways network. Pennypot Lane and all the other sites will feed traffic towards this direction. The totality of it will be huge.”

Sustainable transport

The Windmill Farm site includes a cycle path towards Harrogate and three bus stops. However, Mr Siddans said the plans don’t do enough to encourage residents to leave their cars at home.

“How many people can you persuade not to use a car? That isn’t explained. We know they are providing a bus route, they’ll provide some bus stops, but what about the bus? Who’s providing that?

“How many will cycle or use public transport? We simply don’t know the impact.”

At the meeting, Otley Road resident Chris Dicken also did a critical presentation on the Otley Road Cycle Path, which he called “a waste of money”.

David Rowe from Zero Carbon Harrogate gave a talk on the benefits of low traffic neighbourhoods, which is when a road is closed to through traffic to boost walking and cycling, as as the one currently on Beech Grove.

Windmill Farm proposals

Mr Rowe and the group’s chair, Jemima Parker, fielded questions from residents about the environmental impact of Windmill Farm.

The homes will be built with gas boilers, despite the government banning them from new builds from 2025.

Ms Parker queried the layout of the Windmill Farm and suggested it had been designed with the car in mind.

“The shop and the school are not next to each other, so when you go to pick your children up from school you can’t pop into the shop. It’s illogical and needs a different way of thinking.”

Parameters plan

Rene Dziabas

Rene Dziabas, chair of Hapara, expressed the group’s dismay at the delayed West of Harrogate Parameters Plan, a document the group had hoped would go some way to solving transport issues.

Mr Dziabas said the plan had been developed without much input from residents who have knowledge of the area.

He said:

“The only way we’ll make progreess is if the council genuinely starts interacting with the community, not gaming us and ticking boxes, but actually listening to us.”

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesman said previously:

“A number of suggestions have already helped shaped the West of Harrogate Parameters Plan and I’d like to thank those local resident groups and parish councils for their valuable feedback.”