Keane Duncan Archives - Page 15 of 17

New consultation reveals more people still oppose than support £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway

The latest consultation on the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway scheme has revealed more people still oppose the scheme than support it.

The results, published today, show 46 per cent of the responses were negative, 45 per cent were positive and nine per cent neutral.

However, the outcome is closer than the previous consultation when 59 per cent were negative and 39 per cent positive.

The £11.2 million scheme would transform the area around Harrogate’s railway and bus stations but has proved controversial because of its potential impact on business and traffic. It would see James Street partly pedestrianised and traffic on Station Parade reduced to single-lane.

North Yorkshire County Council, which is leading on the scheme, said today’s results “demonstrate significantly higher support for the proposals”.

A total of 2,044 people responded to the latest consultation — almost twice as many as last time.

Just 41 per cent felt very positive/positive about the likely impact on businesses whereas 51 per cent strongly agreed/agreed the proposals would be a better use of public space, and make the town centre more attractive to residents and visitors.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:

“It is encouraging to see the public voice significant and growing support for the gateway scheme and its objectives.

“While overall opinion of the scheme is split almost 50:50, key elements of the scheme received positive support from the public who took part. They told us they believe the scheme will be positive for business, make getting around the town centre safer and encourage more people to walk and cycle.”

How the area outside the train station would look.

Cllr Duncan added:

“I am hopeful that this thorough process will address areas of concern and help build further support for the gateway scheme from Harrogate residents, businesses and visitors.

“The next stage will be for local Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors to consider the feedback and have their say on whether they wish the scheme to go ahead. Subject to approvals, we remain on track to start construction in November.”

Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, Cllr Phil Ireland, said:

“I am delighted to see that the majority of people who responded agreed that the proposals would encourage walking and cycling in the town centre.”

What happens now?

The council now intends to draw up final designs.

The findings of the third consultation and details about next steps will be presented to North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transportation on January 20.

These will include publication of the necessary traffic regulation orders, which is scheduled for February.

In May, executive councillors will consider the outcome of the recent consultations and whether to submit the full business case to West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which would need to be approved to release the funding.

In the event that all approvals for the scheme are received, construction is expected to begin by November.

What is the Station Gateway?

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

North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and the West `Yorkshire Combined Authority are working together on the scheme, funded by £10.9m of funding from the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund and a £300,000 contribution from Harrogate Borough Council.

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

No. 9: The year active travel in Harrogate ground to a halt

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look back at plans for active travel in the Harrogate district.

Few topics have generated more heat over the last 12 months than schemes to promote walking and cycling in Harrogate. But for all the sound and fury, little has changed.

A decision on whether to proceed with the £11.2 million Station Gateway still has not been made. Beech Grove reopened to through traffic after an 18-month experimental closure. New cycle routes on Victoria Road and Harrogate Road in Knaresborough remain a distant dream, even though funding is in place. Oatlands Drive is once again the subject of a consultation.

The only significant development was the opening of the first phase of the Otley Road cycle path — to almost universal condemnation.

Critics wonder why cycling gets so much attention; cyclists and environmentalists wonder when anything will ever actually happen. Here’s what happened to the key schemes.

Station Gateway stalemate

In January, North Yorkshire County Council indicated it would proceed with the scheme despite concerns from businesses and residents about the impact on trade and delays on the roads — but warned it would take a year longer than expected. The proposed starting date was put back to this winter.

Don Mackenzie, the council’s Harrogate-based executive councillor for access who hailed the gateway as the “greatest investment in decades” in Harrogate town centre, did not seek re-election in May’s local elections. His successor, Cllr Keane Duncan, said he remained committed to the scheme and planned to “crack on”.

Out: Don Mackenzie (left). In: Keane Duncan

In June, the council opened a second consultation on the scheme. A third would follow in autumn.

Summer also saw the commercial property firm Hornbeam Park Developments Ltd threaten a judicial review against the council’s handling of the gateway.

Soaring inflation sparked concerns in autumn the quality of the scheme could be compromised due to rising construction costs — a claim Cllr Duncan denied.

Months of silence suggested enthusiasm was waning until Cllr Duncan said this month the council remained committed to the project. But he added it was still evaluating the results of the third round of consultation and would ask Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors for their views before deciding whether to proceed.

The anticipated start date was put back another year to late 2023.

tempietto

Despite the delay, in December the council submitted a planning application to destroy the tempietto outside Victoria Shopping Centre to make way for changes to the public realm that would be part of the scheme, along with making some of Station Parade single lane to traffic and partly pedestrianising James Street.

The application was submitted even though a final decision on whether to proceed with the gateway project has not been taken. A council spokesman said the little temple would only be removed as part of the gateway works.

Beech Grove plans are beached

If ever a picture symbolised the state of active travel in Harrogate, it was the DPD van that got beached on a snowy Stray in February.

The van driver had attempted to evade the planters preventing traffic through traffic on Beech Grove.

DPD van stuck on the Stray on Saturday next to the Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood.

The DPD van stuck on the Stray

Beech Grove is seen as a key route in wider plans to create an off-road cycling route from Cardale Park to Harrogate train station and the planters had been in place for a year to prevent vehicles using the street as a cut through between West Park, Otley Road and Cold Bath Road.

But the 18-month experimental order closing the road to through traffic expired in August and, with no new plans in place, traffic returned to how it was before.

The planters, however, have not been taken away. They remain by the side of the road pending another consultation.

This consultation did not start too well when one of three proposals put forward was described by Harrogate District Cycle Action as so dangerous it shouldn’t even be offered.

The proposal suggests making traffic heading out of town on Beech Grove one-way and creating an unprotected cycle lane on the opposite side.

Harrogate District Cycle Action said there wasn’t enough width for parking, a traffic lane, and a contraflow cycle lane. It added the contraflow cycle lane “would be a narrow ‘murder-strip’ putting cyclists’ lives in jeopardy from oncoming traffic.

A decision on what to do with Beech Grove and neighbouring streets is expected next year.

Otley Road’s ‘crazy golf’ design

The first of three phases of the route finally opened in January. There were immediate concerns about the safety of a junction, which led to an agreement between North Yorkshire County Council and Yorkshire Water to widen the affected area.

As time went on there was further criticism of the design, ranging from the width of the cycle path not conforming to latest government guidance to the route zig-zagging between the highway and shared pedestrian routes.

Otley Road cycle path

Rene Dziabas, chairman of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association, described it as like “crazy golf construction”.

He said a survey of residents and businesses along Otley Road revealed “very heavily negative” attitudes, with only two positive comments received.

The council staged an at-times heated meeting to discuss the latest proposals for Otley Road and Beech Grove in October but some residents did not receive letters from the council about the event before it took place.

There is little prospect of work starting on phases two and three anytime soon. A contractor has yet to be appointed for the second phase and funding has not been secured for phase three.

New crossing on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road to be installed next year

A toucan crossing on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road looks set to be installed next year after plans were approved.

North Yorkshire County Council proposed the crossing to encourage walking and cycling at the junction with Slingsby Walk.

It will be the fourth set of lights in less than a mile between the Empress roundabout and the Woodlands junction, which is already one of the most congested stretches of road around Harrogate.

Council officials have estimated the crossing could double the number of cyclists using the Slingsby Walk route, which runs alongside the Stray.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways at the authority, approved the crossing at a meeting yesterday.

Subject to a feasibility study, it will be installed in the 2023/24 financial year.

The section of Wetherby Road and Slingsby Walk which is earmarked for a new crossing.

Cllr Duncan said:

“A crossing at Slingsby Walk would be a positive step forward for active travel in Harrogate, providing a safe, formal crossing point for both pedestrians and cyclists who might currently be hesitant about using the link.

“We recognise the concerns around existing traffic congestion on this section of Wetherby Road and at the meeting we discussed how we will use sensor technology to detect automatically when the crossing is clear to ensure no unnecessary delays to motorists.

“We are committed to doing more to create opportunities for people to walk or cycle for work, education and shopping as part of a balanced approach to travel. This means doing what we can to support all road users – motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and public transport services.”

Likely to increase delays

Council officers have admitted the crossing is likely to cause further delays for drivers.

In a report outlining the proposal, Barrie Mason, assistant director for highways and transportation, accepted the move would likely increase pressure on the road network.

He added there were also officer concerns over “existing traffic congestion on this section of Wetherby Road”.

However, he said these concerns had to be balanced against the benefit that it would offer to pedestrians and cyclists.

Funding of £75,000 for the crossing has been secured from Harrogate Borough Council’s sustainable transport budget.

More crossings needed in Oatlands area, says Harrogate councillor

More crossings should be installed on Oatlands Drive to make cycling and walking safe, says a Harrogate councillor.

Cllr Pat Mash, who represents Stray, Woodlands and Hookston on North Yorkshire County Council, said she welcomed new plans for a toucan crossing on Wetherby Road.

The authority revealed the proposal for the junction at Slingsby Walk this week.

But, Cllr Marsh said more crossings were needed on Oatlands Drive and Stray Rein following the announcement of the Wetherby Road installation.

She said:

“I have been pushing for this for sometime. However it does not go far enough crossings should be created across Oatlands Drive and Stray Rein to ensure pedestrian and cyclists have safe access and hopefully it would encourage more people to use this as a cycle route.

“I am not too sure traffic signals are right on such a busy road as Wetherby Road. Maybe a well signposted pedestrian crossing, but then it is about the safety of all.

“This would have more benefit to the cycling community than the cycle way proposed on Oatlands Drive which is in such isolation from the rest of the community. At least Slingsby Walk would achieve more connectivity.”

North Yorkshire County Council has proposed the Wetherby Road crossing, which would cost £75,000, which it says could “double the number of people using a popular cycling and walking route”.

However, council officers have conceded that it will likely cause further delays for motorists in the area.

If approved, implementation of the crossing will be subject to a detailed design and safety audit before it could be introduced in 2023/24.

Funding of £75,000 for the crossing has been secured from Harrogate Borough Council’s sustainable transport budget.

Conservative Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways, said:

“We are committed to creating opportunities for people who want to walk or cycle for work, education, shopping or other reasons. This is clear in the Harrogate area through our Transforming Cities Fund gateway project and Active Travel Fund schemes to develop a safe, accessible network for cyclists and pedestrians.

“The Slingsby Walk crossing could offer a significant addition to the town’s infrastructure, providing a safe, formal crossing point for pedestrians and cyclists who might be hesitant about using the link at the moment.

“We recognise concerns around existing traffic congestion on this section of Wetherby Road. While an additional crossing would place extra pressure on the network, this needs to be weighed against the benefit to pedestrians and cyclists that already use this location and those that would if there was a formal crossing.”

£11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway scheme delayed for another year

The £11.9m Harrogate Station Gateway scheme has been delayed again and is now not due to start for another year.

In an update yesterday, Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways, said it remained “committed” to the controversial project.

But he added the council was still evaluating the results of the third round of consultation, which ended in August, and would ask Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors for their views before deciding whether to proceed.

Information attached to the summer consultation said it was “anticipated that construction would begin in winter 2022/3 for approximately 12 months”.

The council is now, however, saying work will start in late 2023.

Cllr Keane Duncan

Cllr Duncan said:

“We remain committed to moving forward with the gateway scheme, which represents more than £11m of investment into Harrogate.

“The most recent consultation attracted more than 2,000 responses, almost twice the number from previous consultations, as well as more than 5,000 individual comments. We thank all those who took part.

“The results of this consultation show opinion is finely balanced. Full evaluation and consideration of the responses is being completed and we will publish these early in the New Year.

“Following this, we will ask Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors for views on their support for a scheme that could be transformational for the town, and whether they want it to go ahead.

“Subject to final approvals, it is anticipated construction will begin late in 2023.”

The Stray Ferret asked the council about the scheme as there had been no updates since the summer consultation and work was due to begin anytime now.

We also asked whether the threat of a judicial review, which was raised by the owner of Hornbeam Park this year, remained but Cllr Duncan’s statement did not address this.

Latest delay in controversial saga

The Station Gateway was hailed as the “greatest investment in decades” in Harrogate town centre by Cllr Duncan’s predecessor, Cllr Don Mackenzie, when funding was secured from the Department for Transport.

It would see part of James Street pedestrianised and part of Station Parade made single lane, as well as significant changes to the public realm near the Victoria monument.

How Station Parade would look

The government department had set a deadline of March 2023 for completion and work was due to have started in spring this year and last for a year.

But in January this year it was announced the scheme had been pushed back a year and now the same thin has happened again.

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

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

It has divided opinion with supporters saying it would boost cycling and walking as well as modernise the area around the train station.

But critics argue it could increase traffic delays and disrupt town centre business.

Wetherby Road crossing ‘likely to cause further delays’ for Harrogate drivers

A new crossing on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road is likely to cause “further delays” for drivers, a county council officer has said.

North Yorkshire County Council yesterday revealed plans to install a toucan crossing on the road next to Slingsby Walk on the Stray to encourage walking and cycling in Harrogate.

The crossing would be the fourth set of lights in less than a mile between the Empress roundabout and the Woodlands junction, which is already one of the most congested stretches of road around Harrogate.

In a report outlining the proposal, Barrie Mason, assistant director for highways and transportation, accepted the move would likely increase pressure on the road network.

He added there were also officer concerns over “existing traffic congestion on this section of Wetherby Road”.

However, he said that the measure had to be balanced with the benefit that it would offer to both pedestrians and cyclists.

Slingsby Walk is popular for walkers and cyclists.

Mr Mason said:

“Any additional crossing of the A661 Wetherby Road will likely cause further delays for people travelling on the road.

“It is felt, however, that the signalised crossing would be of benefit to pedestrians and cyclists and the safety and movement of vulnerable road users should be prioritised in this location in order to achieve a better balance between travel modes.”

Mr Mason added that the measure has the potential to more than double the cyclists on Slingsby Walk.

According to the report, a cycle count in the area on a single day in 2021 counted 84 cyclists.

Mr Mason said:

“Given the route’s geography, it is highly likely that most of these cyclists reached the A661 at the proposed crossing point location.

“The proposed crossing is thought to satisfy a key desire line for present and future cyclists.”

‘Creating opportunities’ for cycling and walking

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, is to consider the proposal at a meeting on Wednesday, December 14.

If approved, implementation of the crossing will be subject to a detailed design and safety audit before it could be introduced in 2023/24.

Funding of £75,000 for the crossing has been secured from Harrogate Borough Council’s sustainable transport budget.

Cllr Duncan said:

“We are committed to creating opportunities for people who want to walk or cycle for work, education, shopping or other reasons. This is clear in the Harrogate area through our Transforming Cities Fund gateway project and Active Travel Fund schemes to develop a safe, accessible network for cyclists and pedestrians.

“The Slingsby Walk crossing could offer a significant addition to the town’s infrastructure, providing a safe, formal crossing point for pedestrians and cyclists who might be hesitant about using the link at the moment.”

Council plans new crossing on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road

A new crossing could be installed on Wetherby Road in an effort to improve walking and cycling in Harrogate.

The crossing, which could include traffic lights, would be put in place next to Slingsby Walk on the Stray.

North Yorkshire County Council has proposed the measure, which would cost £75,000, which it says could “double the number of people using a popular cycling and walking route”.

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, is to consider the proposal at a meeting on Wednesday, December 14.

Cllr Duncan said:

“We are committed to creating opportunities for people who want to walk or cycle for work, education, shopping or other reasons. This is clear in the Harrogate area through our Transforming Cities Fund gateway project and Active Travel Fund schemes to develop a safe, accessible network for cyclists and pedestrians.

“The Slingsby Walk crossing could offer a significant addition to the town’s infrastructure, providing a safe, formal crossing point for pedestrians and cyclists who might be hesitant about using the link at the moment.

“We recognise concerns around existing traffic congestion on this section of Wetherby Road. While an additional crossing would place extra pressure on the network, this needs to be weighed against the benefit to pedestrians and cyclists that already use this location and those that would if there was a formal crossing.

“We need to consider the benefits a signalised crossing would bring to pedestrians and cyclists and the safety of vulnerable road users in this location to achieve a better balance between different modes of travel.”

If approved, implementation of the crossing will be subject to a detailed design and safety audit before it could be introduced in 2023/24.

Funding of £75,000 for the crossing has been secured from Harrogate Borough Council’s sustainable transport budget.

Cllr Phil Ireland, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, said:

“If we want to achieve our zero-carbon economy targets, we need to invest in sustainable travel options and help make them as safe as possible.

“Introducing a road crossing on Wetherby Road at Slingsby Walk will ensure people have safe access between the east and west of Harrogate town centre. Especially as this route is frequently used by young people accessing the nearby schools.

“I’d like to thank North Yorkshire County Council as well as Councillor Keane Duncan for considering this proposal.”

Public control of North Yorkshire bus network ‘not realistic’, says transport chief

Public control of North Yorkshire’s bus network is not a “realistic answer” to the system’s current woes, says the county’s transport chief.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive member for highways and transport at North Yorkshire County Council, said such a move would be too expensive for the authority to take on.

It comes as officials at the county council have warned passengers that some services may be scrapped if not enough people use them.

Cllr Duncan told an executive meeting that bringing the network under public authority ownership – often referred to as franchising – would lead to “20 to 30 thousands pounds of subsidy” per passenger every year.

He said:

“I think that no matter what political party you may come from in North Yorkshire County Council and beyond, or whatever political persuasion you might be, you’re looking at those figures at potentially subsiding per passenger per year at ten, twenty, thirty thousand pounds and it just doesn’t stack up.

“The case is not there. We know we have got some unique times in North Yorkshire and we have got to work through those. It is potentially more difficult than just ‘lets have public authority control’, that is not going to be a realistic answer to the problems we face.”

Local control is ‘better value’

Matthew Topham, of the Better Buses for North Yorkshire campaign group, said that bringing the county’s network under local control was “common sense”.

Mr Topham said a franchising model – which Transport for London and Greater Manchester operate under – would be better value for passengers.

He said:

“Far from being “unrealistic,” taking buses into local control is the only common sense answer. It’s better value. It’s popular. It unlocks unique powers to improve services.

“Findings from London show franchising is a more efficient use of public money. In Jersey, it helped the council add routes while cutting costs by £800,000 a year. Imagine if we had it here!

“Polls show over two-thirds of the public back local control. Experts from the Countryside Charity CPRE, levelling up think tank IPPR North, and even the UN agree: local control is the way forward.

“If the mountainous areas of France or Switzerland all find it cheaper to coordinate services through local control, we can trust that North Yorkshire will too.”

The network’s woes come as seven months ago the government rejected North Yorkshire County Council’s bid for a £116m share of Boris Johnson’s high-profile Bus Back Better initiative, saying the local authority’s plans lacked ambition.

Since then, local politicians have raised concern over the future of services in their area.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate, said he feared up to 80 services could be under threat across the county.

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat councillor for Pateley Bridge, Andrew Murday, said residents of his division faced having just two services a day to Harrogate.

He said:

“We just have to do something about bus services, and encourage more people onto buses. We need to know how we are going to go about discouraging people from driving and encouraging people on to buses, so bus services can thrive.”

Council sets aside £11m for A59 Kex Gill contingency funding

North Yorkshire County Council has set aside £11 million to cover any contingencies for a major realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill.

The project is set to cost £68.8 million and construction was due to start this month, but no precise date has been given.

The authority awarded a £50.7 million to John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd, an Irish civil engineering and construction firm, to build the scheme.

The project is due to be funded by a £56.1 million grant from the Department for Transport, with the council covering the rest from its reserves.

Now, Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways, has confirmed that £11 million has been factored into the £68 million budget to cover any issues with ground conditions or bad weather.

Cllr Duncan said:

“The re-alignment of Kex Gill will undoubtedly be one of the council’s most ambitious ever highways projects. The road has been identified by the government as one of the most important strategic routes nationally and this project is vital to maintaining east-west connectivity.

“Within the budget of £68.8 million there is an £11 million contingency. This includes a contingency for both price inflation and potential construction issues that may arise such as unexpected ground conditions or prolonged bad weather. The risk of price inflation sits with the contractor and this has been factored into the total bid price.

“There is always the risk of cost increases on any major construction project, however, we believe we have secured as much certainty as we can.”

It comes as senior county council officials have warned about the risk involved with the authority’s major projects amid soaring inflation.

Gary Fielding, the council’s director for strategic resources, warned previously that the “burden of risk” for major projects, such as the realignment of the A59 at Kex Gill, will fall on the authority amid soaring inflation.

The last update said contractors were expected to move on site this month to clear the moorland by late February next year, to avoid the bird nesting season. The estimated completion date is May 2025.

The A59 at Kex Gill, near Blubberhouses, is the main route between Harrogate and Skipton. Since 2000, the route has been closed 12 times following landslips.

The project has faced numerous delays and following tender returns, the estimated cost of the scheme increased by £7.2 million to £68.8 million, which the council attributes to due to inflation affecting constructions costs.

It therefore approved an increase in its allocated funding from £5.5 million to £12.7 million, given the DfT grant is fixed.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate College event links employers with students

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.

Harrogate College is holding an event that gives businesses the chance to talk to customer service-trained students about part-time work that fits around their studies.

The college’s employer network recruitment fair enables Harrogate district firms the opportunity to come into college and speak to students directly.

Each business can approach the recruitment fair in its own way: it can conduct an interview and offer work that day, or share information about the business before inviting students for a formal interview at the place of work.

The free event takes place at the college, on Hornbeam Park, on November 2 from 11am to 1.30pm. Tickets can be booked here.

Construction firm wins award for junction 47 upgrade

Junction 47

Building contractor, Farrans Construction, won the Best Highways and Transportation Project award at a recent CIHT Yorkshire and Humber event for its delivery of the junction 47 A1(M) upgrade for client North Yorkshire County Council.

The project, near Flaxby, involved widening of three of the four slip roads onto and off the roundabout to increase capacity as well as a number of junction improvements.

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transport, said:

“It is one of the busiest junctions in North Yorkshire and since the scheme was completed earlier this year we have seen a significant difference in reducing congestion and improving road safety.

“It represents a successful collaboration between the county council, Farrans, AECOM and National Highways in overcoming difficult situations without major delays to the travelling public during construction on this key route which unlocks future growth in and around Harrogate.”

What happens now?

Read more:

What is the Station Gateway?

Station Gateway stalemate

Beech Grove plans are beached

Otley Road’s ‘crazy golf’ design

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Likely to increase delays

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Latest delay in controversial saga

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‘Creating opportunities’ for cycling and walking

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Local control is ‘better value’

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Construction firm wins award for junction 47 upgrade

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