Anyone visiting Harrogate town centre recently will have noticed colourful doodles on footpaths by Station Parade, James Street and Cheltenham Parade.

It’s not a conceptual art project and has an important purpose, according to North Yorkshire County Council who painted them.

Paint is sometimes added to footpaths before roadworks take place to help engineers identify underground services such as water pipes, electricity cables or broadband.

The £11.2m Station Gateway scheme is arguably the biggest infrastructure project to come to Harrogate in decades and the sheer scale of the project means there is now “gateway graffiti” splattered in front of many shops, cafes and restaurants.

NYCC said the paint is semi-permanent and will wear off, but it could still be there during Harrogate’s busy Christmas period.

North Yorkshire County Council’s assistant director of highways and transportation, Barrie Mason, said:

“The markings are necessary to identify underground services as part of the planning work for the proposed Harrogate Gateway scheme, if the decision is taken for the project to go ahead, and is routine practice to help avoid problems in many situations where contractors will be working.

“The paint is semi-permanent and will wear off over a matter of months but care is taken to keep its use to a minimum.”

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When will work start on the Station Gateway?

The project is still yet to be given the final green light.

A third round of public consultation recently ended.

But last night, Cllr Keane Duncan, executive member for highways and transportation at NYCC, told businesses that work is likely to start next year if councillors approve it.

Cllr Duncan also discussed whether inflation will increase the final cost of the project.

More than 13,000 journeys were taken using the on demand YorBus service in its first year of operation.

Data from North Yorkshire County Council showed that 13,426 journeys had been taken by the end of July, requested by 850 riders.

In July 2022, there was an average of 51 trips per day.

The bus service serves an area to the north and west of Ripon including Masham, West Tanfield and Bedale.

The pilot scheme, started in July 2021, has now been extended for another year.

The statistics are included in a report on the service’s first year which will be discussed by the council’s Skipton and Ripon area committee next week.

Increasing journey numbers

Journey numbers have gradually increased since the start of the year.

Despite this, the council almost doubled fares for the service at the start of August to £2 for an adult and £1 for a child.

The number of journeys is also roughly seven times the council’s target for the scheme.

It initially hoped that 885 journeys would have been taken after six months.

However, the Transport Action Network has accused the council of setting the target deliberately low.

YorBus covers 217 square kilometres to the north and west of Ripon

Councillor Keane Duncan, the county council’s executive member for transport, celebrated YorBus’s first year in July. He said:

“YorBus has proved incredibly popular since its launch in July 2021, with extremely positive feedback from users.

“We will continue to review this demand-responsive service to help us explore rolling out YorBus to other parts of the county.”

The report also stated that almost half of users would drive if the service was not available. It argued:

“This shows that YorBus is helping to encourage North Yorkshire residents away from the private motor vehicle and onto public transport.”

£229,000 has been allocated to the service for 2022/23.

Next steps

The council will now look at its future plans for on demand YorBus service.

This could include group discount tickets, a joint promotion campaign with the National Trust and investigating the viability of rolling out of YorBus to other parts of the county.

A study looking into a park and ride bus service for Harrogate could finally bring forward proposals next year.

North Yorkshire County Council said feasibility work is underway and should take around six months to assess a scheme which has long been seen as part of the solution to the town’s congestion woes.

Plans would then be produced before a funding bid is made for the service where motorists would park outside Harrogate town centre and get the bus in.

However, it is unclear how much money would be needed and where it would come from as the council said “it is too early to provide costs”.

It was previously suggested that construction costs could exceed £10 million.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive member for highways and transport at the council, said it was looking at several locations to run the service from and that there were no longer any plans for a trial.

He said: 

“We are actively considering the feasibility of a park and ride for Harrogate and it remains a key priority for us as we work to tackle congestion.

“We expect this will take around six months to complete and then the findings will be used to determine which proposals should be developed into a bid for funding.

“There are no plans for a pilot.”

Read more:

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More than 100 locations have been examined and the two most promising were last year revealed as land near Pannal Golf Club and the Buttersyke Bar roundabout south of the village.

These were identified as they connect to the 36 bus service which runs between Harrogate, Ripon and Leeds on the A61.

Making use of existing bus routes is a priority for the council as its other park and ride services often run at a financial loss due to the high costs involved.

Harrogate Bus Company runs the 36 service, and Alex Hornby, chief executive of its parent company Transdev Blazefield, said he was happy to support the council in progressing its plans.

Mr Hornby said: 

“The Harrogate Bus Company has long advocated for bus-based park and ride on the A61 – served by the 36 as an existing, high quality bus service – as we believe that will help manage congestion and emissions by reducing car journeys in the town centre.”

Determined to push ahead

The long-awaited progress comes at a worrying time for North Yorkshire’s buses after a bid for £116 million in government cash was rejected before warnings that services are at risk of being axed when other funding comes to an end in October.

The bid to the high-profile Bus Back Better scheme included new bus lanes, other infrastructure improvements and cash to keep services running.

However, it was rejected in its entirety by the Department for Transport which said the bid lacked “sufficient ambition”.

Although funding for a Harrogate park and ride service was not included in the bid, Cllr Duncan stressed the council’s determination to push ahead with the plans.

He said: 

“While we suffered a setback with our Bus Service Improvement Plan bid to the Department for Transport being unsuccessful, we are working to identify potential sites along the A61 corridor and elsewhere in town.

“This will build on the work we’ve already undertaken as part of the Harrogate Transport Improvements Programme study that was completed in 2021.”

North Yorkshire’s first recycled plastic bridge has been installed at Masham.

The new bridge was fitted at Swinney Beck near to the town and was put in place to provide an alternative to traditional crossings.

The area is prone to flooding and was hit by floods in February 2020. Residents raised concern over the condition of the bridge following the storms.

North Yorkshire County Council officials took the decision to replace the bridge with a recycled plastic structure. They said the material will last longer, will not corrode or rust and will not require painting or maintenance.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive county councillor for highways and transportation, said that the new bridge fits well with its surroundings.

He said:

“Long-term maintenance costs are a huge consideration when installing new bridges on our public rights of way network. This is why we have taken the opportunity to introduce a recycled plastic alternative which is becoming popular in other parts of the country.

“It’s very exciting to see that plastic waste can be used in construction. 

“The appearance of Swinney Beck bridge is in-keeping with the area and the previous structure – the only difference is the increased lifespan and environmental credentials.”

Richard King, who lives in Ellingstring village near to the beck, first raised the concerns over the condition of the bridge with the county council.

He said:

“Villagers and our many holidaying visitors love to walk on the local footpaths as a perfect escape from the stresses of normal life, enjoying the wildlife and the fabulous views we get being high up on the side of Wensleydale.

“In November 2020 I was crossing the old Swinney Beck Bridge on one of my daily outings and I saw that the bridge had collapsed and was partially submerged, and therefore dangerous to use.

“I reported it to the county council and they have replaced it with a handsome, practical and safe new crossing, which should last for many years, and has the added benefit of being made from recycled materials.

“This will allow walkers to enjoy many more years of access to a quiet and tranquil corner of our beautiful landscape.”

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Cllr Margaret Atkinson, who represents the Masham and Fountains division on North Yorkshire County Council, added: 

“This route is well-used by local residents and walking groups who raised its poor condition and have welcomed the replacement.

“The recycled plastic bridge is a pioneering addition to North Yorkshire’s public rights of way network. I hope it proves a success and more are considered elsewhere in the county.”

Trial restrictions on vehicles using Beech Grove and Lancaster Road in Harrogate are to end in 10 days time.

Measures aimed at encouraging more walking and cycling in Harrogate were introduced on a trial basis in February 2021, for a maximum of 18 months.

It saw the temporary installation of signage, bollards and planters in the two streets – the first initiative of its kind in the county.

The 18-month experimental order will lapse on August 14, meaning the measures must legally now be removed.

Feedback from the trial will now be considered before a wider package of permanent measures to promote environmentally-friendly travel is drawn up and consulted upon in September.

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

“It is fair to say these trial restrictions have been controversial. We have received significant feedback – positive and negative – and we’ve learnt a lot over the past 18 months.

“We know that more people are now using this route to walk and cycle, which is encouraging and in line with our aim of promoting sustainable travel. However, we are also aware of negative impacts affecting those living nearby.

“Now the trial period is over, it is only right that we review in detail what’s worked and what could work better.

“This will allow us the opportunity to bring forward a detailed and coordinated plan, connecting active travel initiatives such as Otley Road and Station Gateway together in the best way while addressing many of the objections raised by local residents.

“We will be seeking input from local councillors, active travel groups and the public to ensure we are developing the most effective possible plan for this area.”

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

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

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

But the briefing did reveal some changes:

• Two approaches to the Odeon roundabout will be reduced to single lane to make it safer for cyclists. But it won’t be a Dutch-style roundabout giving priority to pedestrians and cyclists.
• Nine trees will be felled as part of the scheme. Twenty-four new ones will be planted.
• The project is predicted to extend the average journey time around town by 73 seconds at peak times.
• Two taxi bays on Station Parade will be lost but new bays will be introduced elsewhere.
• North Yorkshire County Council, the lead partner, has pledged to “robustly defend” any legal challenge after a Harrogate property owner said he was considering a judicial review.
• Inflation and the cost of living crisis are prompting concerns about whether the scheme can be delivered in full. Some cheaper materials could be used.
• North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council have pledged £300,000 between them to bring the value of the scheme up to £11.2 million.
• The start time has been pushed back again until late spring or summer next year and is due to complete by March 2024.

The Odeon roundabout

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

He said:

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘First major investment in Harrogate for 30 years’

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

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

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

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

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

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

One Arch

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

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

Bus services in a county that failed to secure any money to improve services in the government’s high-profile Bus Back Better scheme are now facing “a potential cliff-edge”, North Yorkshire’s transport boss has warned.

In a statement to a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council next Wednesday, Cllr Keane Duncan said the authority was aware several of the county’s commercial routes were facing “significant pressures”, due to the loss of government subsidies in three months.

The warning from the Conservative-led council’s executive member for highways and transportation comes ahead of bus services across the country having to introduce a £2 price cap on local and regional journeys from October.

It also comes just three months after it emerged the authority’s £116 million Bus Back Better bid had been rejected in its entirety by the government, which claimed the bid had lacked “sufficient ambition”.

As winning the grant had been crucial for elements of the county’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, the authority expressed dismay at the decision.

Even ahead of the decision in March, members of the authority’s executive had underlined the need for bus services for the county’s rural communities, which dwindled following significant austerity cutbacks.

Cllr Duncan said the council had launched a review of the passenger service network across the county to understand which could become threatened in the coming months.

He said:

“The end of the Commercial Bus Services Support Grant provided by central government in October presents a potential cliff-edge in terms of the future profitability of routes our residents rely upon.”

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He said the review would enable him to assess potential support the council could provide “to keep as many of our vital services running as possible”.

The authority’s opposition leader, Councillor Bryn Griffiths, said concerns had been mounting for the viability of some bus services as they appeared to have reached a tipping point.

Coun Griffiths said by giving one-off grants for specific projects limited to certain places the government was failing to provide the resources needed to improve access to public transport across England’s largest county.

He said:

“It’s an appalling situation. We lose out in the north of England in rural areas because the government doesn’t recognise the issues.

“Places like Bilsdale have no bus services on Sundays because the county council cannot afford to subsidise them, so people can’t get to hospitals to visit their loved ones. Cutting services even further is just ridiculous.

“It’s a vicious circle. You get fewer services, so it gets less and less attractive for people to use.”

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.”

The full extent of the multi-million pound overspend on the upgrade to junction 47 on the A1(M) has still not been revealed, months after the delayed scheme was finally completed.

The project, which had an original budget cost of £7.7m, finished in April — seven months later than planned.

North Yorkshire County Council revealed 10 months ago the costs had spiralled to £10m and has not given an updated figure since.

The council issued a press release today in which business leaders praised the initiative, at Flaxby, for improving traffic flow and attracting enterprise.

It said the junction was “already having huge benefits for commuters, residents and holiday-makers amid the summer tourism season”.

Cllr Keane Duncan, the council’s executive member for highways, said:

“The upgrades to junction 47 have made a significant difference, reducing congestion and improving road safety.

“The scheme unlocks future growth in and around Harrogate, with the changes helping to manage significant residential and commercial development anticipated along the A59 corridor.”

David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce said:

“Having used it on a number of occasions since its completion, it is not only benefitting commuters exiting the A1(M), but also those accessing it as well as those travelling along the A59.

“Improving transport links to and from the Harrogate district will benefit business too.”

(from left) Y&NY LEP board member Jan Garill, NYCC project manager Richard Binks, Farrans operations director Jonny Kerr, National Highways head of service delivery Kate Wood, Farrans project manager Shane Daly, AECOM site supervisor Kevin Atkinson and Cllr Keane Duncan.

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

Traffic signals have been installed on the roundabout to improve traffic flow and added to the T-junction between the A168 and the A59 a short distance from Junction 47 on the York side to benefit drivers turning onto the A59 and to improve safety.

To the west of Junction 47, between the A1 and the Flaxby roundabout, a lane has been added for traffic travelling east, so there is two lanes in each direction between those two roundabouts.

‘Bring more events to Harrogate’

Paula Lorimer, director at Harrogate Convention Centre, said:

“We welcome the upgrade as it has significantly reduced congestion and improved road safety for our visitors.

“The shortened travel time strengthens our competitive advantage and will help us bring more large-scale events to Harrogate.”

Delays were blamed on the discovery of a protected species, great crested newts, which legally had to be relocated, as well as poor ground conditions on the southbound slip road.

Asked why it was taking so long for the final costs of the project to be revealed, a council spokeswoman said:

“The latest estimated costs are the subject of detailed discussions with the county council’s contractor and will be publicly available once they have been agreed.”

At 27-years-old, Keane Duncan has been made responsible for one of the largest road networks in the country and an array of multi-million pound highways projects.

It’s been a baptism of fire for the young politician, who has gone from the debates of student politics to the senior councillor in charge of highways in a short space of time.

His new role includes the £10.9 million Station Gateway project, a £60 million scheme to realign the A59 at Kex Gill and the newly incorporated highways company, NYHighways, which will oversee thousands of miles of road.

For Cllr Duncan, the position is an opportunity but he’s also aware of that the role comes with intense scrutiny – particularly in Harrogate.

Youngest county councillor

A resident of the village of Norton and a councillor for seven years, Cllr Duncan began his political career while studying at the University of York.

He got involved with the local Thirsk and Malton Conservatives and asked to stand for council.

“I hadn’t really been politically active until that point.”

He was elected to North Yorkshire County Council and then later to his local district council in Ryedale.

For two years, he was leader of Ryedale District Council – one of the six districts which will be abolished next year to make way for North Yorkshire Council.

However, he stepped down in February 2021 over what he described as a “cruel and unnecessary” council tax hike.

He said:

“It’s a very challenging political landscape over in Ryedale. 

“There was no overall control for any party and that represents difficulties in sometimes getting decisions through and doing what we need to do for local people.”

Ahead of the abolition of the county council and districts, Cllr Duncan was a key figure in the debate over what should replace them.

He backed an east/west model for North Yorkshire, while current council leader, Cllr Carl Les, was a proponent of the single unitary model.

Cllr Duncan said:

“I was very much in favour of what was called the east/west proposal.

“I believed passionately in that proposal at the time. I believe passionately in unitary local government, so I wanted to deliver that.”

New highways chief

Fast forward to May this year and Cllr Duncan has been appointed the the executive and will now have a key role in the county’s highways department going into the new council.

While he is now both the youngest member of the council and the executive, Cllr Duncan said he had no expectation of being given the brief.

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He said he had “no hopes or expectations” of being given a senior position until he was asked by Cllr Les.

He said:

“I was focused on getting myself here on these seats in the council chamber. The leader asked me to join his executive and I was very happy to accept.”

Cllr Duncan added:

“My portfolio area is probably the most public facing. It is the area where we get the most public comments and complaints.”

Multi-million pound Harrogate schemes

One of Cllr Duncan’s pledges since becoming the highways chief is to visit each area of the county.

Earlier this week he visited Ripon and planned to do the same with Harrogate in the near future.

The Harrogate Station Gateway scheme.

The role in the district will prove to be challenging for Cllr Duncan, who will oversee schemes such as the Otley Road cycle route, Beech Grove low traffic neighbourhood and the Kex Gill realignment.

Perhaps the most high profile locally will be the £10.9 million Station Gateway scheme, which is earmarked for a further round of consultation later this year.

When asked for his view on the scheme, which has proved controversial in Harrogate, Cllr Duncan said:

“I’m personally supportive of that scheme and we are wanting to progress it.

“We are going out to a third round of public consultation to ensure that everyone can have their say and their opinions.

“For me, my test on the ground is what do the local councillors think and feel? They are the representatives of their local community.”

Cllr Duncan said he felt that that “on the whole” the council was trying to get the balance right on the various schemes across the district.

However, he added that he was aware of concerns over some of the schemes such as the gateway project.

His new role will also be to field complaints and criticism from the public, but Cllr Duncan said he is determined to do his job well.

“It is a difficult portfolio to manage, but I’m determined to do that by hopefully ensuring that we’re listening to people on the ground.”