Conservative mayoral candidate promises ‘bold ambition’ for North Yorkshire

Keane Duncan believes he has a “bold ambition” for North Yorkshire.

The 29-year-old candidate for Mayor of York and North Yorkshire is tasked with securing the position for the Conservative Party on May 2.

Mr Duncan, who is also executive councillor for highways on North Yorkshire Council, told the Stray Ferret that he believes he has the most political experience for the role.

He added that he felt the mayor was an opportunity to do politics differently.

“I’m standing to shake things up and do things differently. I think we have probably been let down by politics being the same old status quo.

“This is now an opportunity for us to wrestle control from Westminster and to secure our fair share of investment that we deserve.

“It’s a big opportunity and we have one chance to get this right. I’m standing up for all generations, my generation and the next generation.”

Keane Duncan, with Prime Minister RIshi Sunak in Ripon earlier this month.

Keane Duncan, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Ripon earlier this month.

Mr Duncan has set his stall out and made bold pledges during his campaign. They include free car-parking in towns and cities and purchasing the Grand Hotel in Scarborough for regeneration.

The promise to regenerate the hotel is probably the most radical of his plans. Mr Duncan says he has “staked his political fortunes” on the pledge, but believes it is what Scarborough needs from the mayoral role.

He said:

“I have got bold ambition for North Yorkshire. I have got big plans for our county and I think it is right that we are bold and ambitious for the county.

“Scarborough is the third largest settlement in the county and it is the most deprived town. No one can doubt that it deserves investment.

“But this is just one example of my big plans for the county. It is radical and some people think I’m slightly mad, but I think it will be key for transforming Scarborough.”

When pressed on how much the plan would cost, Mr Duncan said he did not want to “compromise discussions” with Britannia, the company which owns the Grand Hotel.

However, he promised to seek negotiations with the firm within the “first few weeks”, if elected mayor.

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Meanwhile, as the senior councillor for highways in North Yorkshire, Mr Duncan is well versed in the trials and tribulations of the transport brief.

Mr Duncan says that part of his plan for mayor would be to invest in road repairs and key infrastructure such as the A64, York Outer Ring Road and A59 Kex Gill.

He also says he is prepared to look at a bus franchising model in North Yorkshire, if there is a “robust financial case”. 

Among his other pledges include full digital connectivity and no mayoral tax for each year that he is in office, if elected mayor.

Not taking it for granted

The race to become the first elected mayor in North Yorkshire is just 10 days away.

When asked if he confident of winning the election, Mr Duncan said he is not taking anything for granted.

He said:

“I have never taken any election for granted. I’m certainly not taking this election for granted. I do not think the outcome is guaranteed.

“I am working very hard, I’m getting out there into every single corner of North Yorkshire. I have embarked on a 100-day, 1,000-stop tour of the county, listening to people in every single community.

“My message is that nowhere is going to be overlooked or forgotten if I’m elected. That message is resonating strongly.”

The York and North Yorkshire mayor will be chosen by residents of the region in an election on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

The candidates are:

Stray Ferret chairs mayoral hustings event

The Stray Ferret chaired a hustings event this week as the race to become the county’s first directly elected mayor enters its final three weeks.

Liberal Democrat Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, Conservative Keane Duncan, the Green Party’s Kevin Foster and Labour’s David Skaith were quizzed in front of a live audience of business owners.

Tamsin O’Brien, the owner of the Stray Ferret, chaired the business-themed event, which was jointly organised by the Confederation of British Industry, the Federation of Small Businesses, West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and Make UK.

Each candidate outlined what they stood for and was quizzed by Ms O’Brien as well as audience members.

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister

Ms Cunliffe-Lister is a North Yorkshire councillor and former commercial property lawyer who now owns Swinton Park, near Masham

She said 20,000-acre Swinton Park had doubled in size to employ 150 people and and diversified to include activities such as camping and a cookery school.

Ms Cunliffe-Lister said:

“I am the only candidate with the leadership, the business experience and the skills that are essential for this role. I am a politician with a career — I am not a career politician.”

Keane Duncan

Former Daily Star journalist Mr Duncan, who is the executive member for highways at North Yorkshire Council, pledged a range of initiatives including free car parking for every town and city, support for dualling of the A64, £1 bus fares for under 21s, the region’s first mutual bank for businesses, and buying and restoring Scarborough’s Grand Hotel.

He said:

“I am standing in this election to shake things up, to do things in a different way, to break from the same old status quo politics that have held our region back for too long.”

Asked whether the mayor will be able to fund such schemes such as free parking, he said his plans for two hours or less of free parking currently costed the council £2.9 million and he would pledge that sum.

Kevin Foster

Mr Foster, the Green Party leader on North Yorkshire Council and a former army reservist, said not being a member of one of the large political parties meant he would be able to unite the different factions at Conservative-controlled North Yorkshire Council and Labour-run City of York Council.

He talked about the need for “a first class bidding system when we go for grants”, and creating “a better, cleaner, greener place for our businesses”. Mr Foster said:

“If one of the big parties get in it could be politics again as normal. i’ve never been whipped by my party, they would never tell me what to do, I’ve got freedom to make my own choices. I am focused on the task and have leadership skills.”

David Skaith

Harrogate-born Labour candidate David Skaith, who owns a shop and chairs York High Street Forum, said the first thing he would do as mayor would be to introduce a high street fund that would provide access to funding and support for businesses.

Mr Skaith said:

“Coming from having my own business, I don’t believe in having huge bold plans that are not realistic. I can’t buy into that and it’s not how business functions.

“We must build truly affordable homes for ownership and for rent, an integrated transport system with simpler harmonised ticketing system.”

The evening was a selective hustings event, run in accordance with electoral commission guidelines. This meant the Independent candidates, Keith Tordoff and Paul Haslam, were not eligible to take part.

Voters go the polls to elect the mayor on May 2.

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Editor’s Pick of the Week: Sunak in Ripon, village idiot in Harrogate and a vanishing cockerel

You know how it is — one minute you’re enjoying a street party in Ripon, the next minute you turn around and the Prime Minister is there too.

It actually happened on Easter Monday when Rishi Sunak joined fellow Tory, North Yorkshire mayor hopeful Keane Duncan, in the city.

It was Mr Sunak’s second local visit in as many months, following his trip to Starbeck to support Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones in February. Anyone might think an election is looming…

Who is the man in the background and what was he saying?

Mr Sunak, however, had to play second fiddle to a village idiot in the Stray Ferret reader popularity stakes this week. Our article about the arrival in Harrogate of Andy Smith, a YouTuber who calls himself The Village Idiot, was the second best read this week.

The most popular was a feature about Thompson’s Auctioneers in Killinghall, whose director Kate Higgins talked about the joys of rummaging through possessions and selling them under the hammer.

But perhaps the most bizarre was the disappearance of a 30-foot cockerel in Bishop Monkton. It seems the bird had grown so big it was no longer manageable.

Pic: Bishop Monkton Today

Harrogate’s Tourist Information Office has also vanished from its former premises in the Royal Baths complex. It now exists as what appears to be little more than a desk at the Royal Pump Room Museum. Its apparent downgrading has prompted concerns about whether it will be able to promote local businesses.

By contrast, Harrogate Town has well and truly arrived in recent years. The club is enjoying a golden age under father-and-son owner and manager combination Irving Weaver and Simon Weaver. It’s hard to believe the Sulphurites are in a league above York City, have just thumped Bradford City and are on the fringes of the League Two play-off race.

But newly published accounts this week revealed how much the club depends on Irving. Good luck to Town against Notts County this weekend. Let’s hope the good times keep rolling for a while yet.

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Business case approved for £12.1m Harrogate Station Gateway

Preparatory work on the £12.1 million Harrogate Station Gateway is set to begin soon after the full business case was approved today.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority nodded through the scheme, along with other similar gateway projects in Selby and Skipton, in just two minutes at a meeting.

It followed a lengthy debate that resulted in buses in West Yorkshire being brought back under public control, which Labour mayor Tracy Brabin described as a “historic moment”.

Ben Still, chief executive of West Yorkshire Combined Authority, suggested administration of the three North Yorkshire gateway schemes could be transferred to the newly formed York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which will be led by whoever is elected mayor on May 2.

Cllr Keane Duncan, the executive member for highways at North Yorkshire Council and Conservative candidate to be North Yorkshire mayor, said last week preparatory work would begin soon on the Harrogate gateway if approval was granted today. Construction is due to start in September and last one year.

He added:

“This is a very exciting time for the regeneration of all three town centres.”

Today’s decision is unlikely to be welcomed by gateway opponents, especially after the cost of the Harrogate scheme increased again from £11.2 million to £12.1 million and the plans are not expected to be made public for months.

The scheme has also been branded “poor value for money” that will “mainly disbenefit highway users”.

North Yorkshire Council is contributing £1.1 million and the remainder is from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

The project has been ‘de-scoped’ after North Yorkshire Council admitted its previous plans, which included pedestrianising part of James Street and reducing a stretch of Station Parade to single lane traffic, were legally flawed.

The council has said it will include:

But the full plans have not been made public, which prompted retired Harrogate architect and anti-gateway campaigner Barry Adams to renew his plea for the scheme to be halted.

Mr Adam said:

“The gateway plan achieves absolutely nothing but disruption to the town. We need to get this madness stopped.”

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Cycleway set to be built on Harrogate’s Station Parade  

A cycleway looks set to be built on Harrogate’s Station Parade as part of the reduced £11.2 million Station Gateway scheme.

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council‘s executive member for highways and transport, said today the full business case for the scheme had been submitted to West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

He said it included a southbound cycleway on the same side of the road as the bus station, and maintaining two lanes of traffic.

The details have not been released but the decision to keep two lanes of traffic and build a cycleway raises questions about the future of the taxi rank and loading bay on the other side of Station Parade.

The taxi rank

The loading bay

The council scrapped its previous proposals, which included reducing some of Station Parade to single lane and part-pedestrianising James Street, after admitting its plans were legally flawed.

The original scheme was hailed as a key active travel scheme that would be part of a cycle route to Cardale Park so its abandonment disappointed cyclists.

The revised scheme includes better coordinated traffic signals, footways and crossings, public realm improvements to areas including the One Arch tunnel, a bus lane and a southbound cycleway along Station Parade.

Cllr Duncan, who has been chosen to represent the Conservatives in the York and North Yorkshire mayoral election on May 2, said:

“This represents a significant cross-party effort and many hours of discussions.

“While there has been inevitable compromise, there is encouraging agreement on key elements of the revised scheme which takes us closer to securing £11 million of investment for Harrogate.

“Station Parade will remain two lanes, with no pedestrianisation of James Street.”

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for access at North Yorkshire County Council.

Cllr Keane Duncan

He added the revised plan “delivers key benefits to all road users”, adding:

“We now standby for approval of the business case before construction can begin, hopefully later this year.

“There will be further public engagement and consultation on the detail of the plan in coming months.”

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A week of floods, facial recognition cameras and ice rink meltdown

Welcome to a new weekly feature rounding up some of my favourite articles on the Stray Ferret each week.

We often publish more than a dozen stories a day and it’s easy to miss things. Hopefully this digest will give you the chance to catch up.

The Harrogate ice rink saga has been one of our best read stories of the week. The rink has been criticised for slushy ice, rusty skates and slow refunds. It’s difficult not to feel some sympathy because — ironically — a winter wonderland attraction has been somewhat undone by the northern winter, which has forced its closure rather too regularly.

The company running it said this week it won’t be back for Christmas 2024.

As editor, one of the questions I’m asked most is ‘when is the new Lidl opening in Ripon?’. It was granted planning permission in September 2021 and we have an update on one of the slowest moving but most popular local retail stories here.

We also have news of a fascinating dual enterprise by two sisters in the former Dangerfield & Keane salon on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate. Ever used a hyperbaric chamber?

It’s been a week of rain and flood. The Ford car stuck in the ford over the River Skell in Ripon has caused a bit of a ripple. It was still there yesterday. The weather may be improving but Boroughbridge rarely looks prettier than when the River Ure floods, as happened this week.

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How do you feel about walking through Harrogate town centre and having facial recognition cameras matching your features to those of police suspects? It could happen if Conservative Keane Duncan is elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire this year. Read more here.

Who remembers Knaresborough’s new primary school? You’d be forgiven if you didn’t given that it was pledged nearly four years ago and not a jot of progress appears to have happened. We got an update this week.

The week ahead should see Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones appear before the Liberal Democrat-controlled area constituency committee of North Yorkshire Council. It could be tetchy.

Enjoy the site. If you have a view on any of our articles, or indeed anything else that’s bugging you about life in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham, do email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will consider it for publication in our Stray Views letters page.

And if you don’t already, sign up to our new look daily bulletins for a round-up of the news every evening in your inbox. Click on the link below.

 

Tory mayoral candidate pledges to pilot facial recognition cameras in Harrogate

The Conservative candidate for Mayor of York and North Yorkshire has pledged to introduce controversial facial recognition cameras to catch criminals. 

The cameras, which scan people’s faces in public and compare them with people on watch lists, has been hailed by some as a way to improve policing. But others have concerns about human rights and discrimination.

Keane Duncan said he wanted to test the technology across the county, if elected.

The mayor will take on powers from North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, which will be scrapped.

Mr Duncan said trials elsewhere in the country had found the cameras can cut the time required to identify criminals and missing people from days and months to “just minutes”.

He added that he wanted to pilot the technology in York, Harrogate and Scarborough.

Mr Duncan said:

“I want to embrace new technology to revolutionise the way in which policing is conducted in North Yorkshire.

“From apprehending dangerous criminals to locating vulnerable people, live facial recognition cameras represent an effective tool in the arsenal of our police. 

“With potential to free up valuable manpower so officers can have a greater presence on our streets, I want the cameras to be tested here in North Yorkshire.”

The cameras are used by the Metropolitan Police in London.

According to the force, the technology was used to help arrest 10 people for offences including threats to kill, recall to prison for robbery, and possession of an offensive weapon in Croydon on December 14, 2023.

The technology uses a CCTV feed from a police van linked to facial-recognition software. 

The police upload photos of wanted criminals and the software creates an alert when a biometric match is found. The match is then reviewed by a police officer to confirm its accuracy. 

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An election for the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire is expected to be held in May this year.

The Labour Party has selected York businessman David Skaith as its candidate for the role.

Pateley Bridge businessman Keith Tordoff has announced he will stand as an independent candidate for mayor.

North Yorkshire councillor, Kevin Foster, will contest the election for the Green Party.

No 6: Harrogate Station Gateway ‘descoped’ after legal flaws and political rows

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2023, we look at the Harrogate Station Gateway saga in 2023.

The year 2023 was supposed to be the year when the Harrogate Station Gateway started to happen.

After years of talk, work would begin on reducing a section of Station Parade to single lane and James Street would be partly pedestrianised. But not a single shovel has entered the ground and the scheme remains mired in mess.

A meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee was supposed to bring clarity in May.

Cllr Keane Duncan, the council’s Conservative executive member for transport, turned the heat up on the Liberal Democrat-controlled committee beforehand by warning the scheme would be dead if the committee didn’t back it. The “majority of spend”, he added, must take place in 2023/24 budgets so there could be no delay.

Councillors voted 10-3 in favour, which paved the way for Cllr Duncan and the rest of the council’s ruling Conservative executive to press the go button. But the political consensus didn’t last long. The Lib Dems quickly withdrew their support, claiming the council had not engaged in meaningful consultation as promised in May.

Keane Duncan at Harrogate chamber

Cllr Keane Duncan talks about the Station Gateway to Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce.

They called on Cllr Duncan, who would later win the Conservative nomination to stand in next year’s York and North Yorkshire mayoral election, to resign. He accused the Lib Dems of “weak and inconsistent leadership” and “playing games with the scheme”.

Meanwhile, local property firm Hornbeam Park Developments, which owns some buildings on James Street, launched a judicial review to challenge the council’s decision making.

Lawyers claimed there were six grounds for challenge, including the council’s failure to hold a public inquiry before issuing traffic regulation orders for the scheme. In August, the council confirmed it had “quashed” its May decision to proceed with the gateway. It conceded:

“Due to the necessity of having a public inquiry before confirming the relevant traffic regulation order, it was considered prudent to accept this ground of challenge.”

A computer visualisation of part of the Harrogate Station Gateway scheme, with large red x's over elements that have been scrapped.

A Harrogate District Cycle Action graphic showing the scrapped elements.

This prompted Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, to say the gateway was a” timed-out dead scheme” and offer to intervene to help retain the funding locally.

But the council, which had previously insisted the scheme would be dead if it wasn’t approved, ploughed on and began hastily assembling new proposals.

By November, they suggested public realm improvements to Station Square and One Arch, which is the foot tunnel under the railway at the bottom end of Station Parade, improved access into the bus station and linked sequencing of the traffic lights between the Ripon Road/King’s Road and the Station Parade/Victoria Avenue junctions. The possibility of a southbound segregated cycle lane on Station Parade, while retaining two lanes for motorised traffic, is also being explored.

The political wrangling continued when Lib Dem leader Cllr Pat Marsh accused Cllr Duncan of “pinching” their ideas.

The scheme is one of three worth £42 million being funded by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund to improve station gateways to town centres in Harrogate, Selby and Skipton.

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By the end of the year all three had been “de-scoped” because “cost estimates have significantly increased during the detailed design development period”, according to a council report.

The council was keen to gloss over questions about its handling of a scheme, and how it had breached public law by failing to issue traffic regulation orders — particularly as it had awarded £2 million to consultants for help.

Cyclists were frustrated by the loss of what was once hailed as a key project in establishing a secure route from the town centre to Cardale Park. The gateway lexicon had also changed from being about active travel to sustainable transport, suggesting it’s more about better traffic lights than encouraging walking and cycling.

Councillors are expected to decide early in 2024 whether to accept the smaller Harrogate scheme — assuming the government lets the deadline slip. It appears smaller and less controversial than the original plans — but little about the gateway is ever straightforward.

No.7: A bumpy year for road safety

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2023, we’re looking at road safety.

The issue of road safety came under the Stray Ferret’s spotlight a lot this year.

With several fatal and serious crashes, campaigns for 20mph speed limit zones and “landmark” road safety packages, it has been a year of ups and downs on our highways.

20mph speed limits

Pannal Ash and Oatlands

A collision that left two school students with serious injuries prompted a group of Harrogate parents to bolster plans to implement 20mph speed zones around parts of the town.

The incident, which happened in February, left two 15-year-old Rossett School pupils requiring several operations and hospital treatment for months after.

Following the collision, the group, who were already campaigning for such change, amped up their efforts.

They set up a petition, which called for a ‘safe streets zone’, consisting of a blanket 20mph speed limit across the Rossett, Pannal Ash, Oatlands, Woodlands and Hookstone areas.

It attracted more than 900 signatures and caught the attention of 13 education leader and local councillors, who joined forces with the group and urged North Yorkshire Council to take action.

The petition was delivered to the council in May.

Hazel Peacock, who spearheaded the campaign and delivered the petition on behalf of the group, told the Stray Ferret on the day:

“We’re just delighted we’ve got this number of signatures. It shows the support for the proposal of this change, which could bring such positive benefits from a road safety perspective.

“Once you have that, it will change people’s attitudes in regard to comfort around walking, cycling and mobility users.”

The road safety group.

Woodfield Road

The council also recommended a separate 20mph speed limit plan for Woodfield Road in the Bilton area of Harrogate.

The project, funded through the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s AJ1 project road safety fund, will see the introduction of traffic calming measures, including speed cushions and a 20mph speed limit.

Cllr Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge, told the Stray Ferret in November the measures were being taken “for the safety of children” ahead of the former Woodfield Road Community Primary School re-opening.

The school, which closed at the end of last year, is due to reopen as a secondary school for 80 autistic children in September 2024.

No further updates have been revealed since publication.

‘Landmark’ package unveiled

Following calls for change, North Yorkshire Council unveiled plans for the county’s largest ever “landmark” 20mph zone in September.

It proposed extensive reduced speed limit zones across the Pannal Ash and Oatlands areas of the town, which included Arthurs Avenue, Oatlands Drive, Yew Tree Lane and Cromwell Road.

It covered seven Harrogate schools in line with the parents’ wishes.

These were Harrogate Grammar School, Rossett Acre Primary School, Rossett School, Ashville College, St Aidan’s Church of England High School, Oatlands Junior School and Oatlands Infants School.

Cllr Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways and transport, said at the time:

“This is the most significant 20mph zone the council has ever introduced.

“Our plan will see 20mph limits introduced outside seven more schools and on nearby residential streets, meaning thousands of children can enjoy safer journeys every day.

“This landmark proposal is testament to the collective determination of schools, families and councillors to respond to public concerns and deliver ambitious action. It sets a positive example and leads the way for communities across North Yorkshire.”

Cllr Keane Duncan.

Headteacher called for Otley Road to be included

After the package was announced, Neil Renton, headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School (HGS), called for a section of Otley Road to also be included in the 20mph zone.

Arthurs Avenue and surrounding side roads were set to be included in the reduced speed limit zone to protect HGS pupils, however Mr Renton said the zone should be extended to include the busy B6162 Otley Road where pupils enter the school.

He said this is a key route in-and-out of town and currently has a limit of 30mph.

The call came after council officers published a report ahead of a Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency meeting, during which Mr Renton’s concerns were expressed, which stated the “volume of traffic” on the road would mean it would not be possible to implement the 20mph speed limit.

Plans rejected

Despite hopes of change from teachers, councillors and campaigners, North Yorkshire Council rejected plans to include some of the main roads in the 20mph zone.

Following a December meeting, it appeared Leeds Road, Wetherby Road, Otley Road, Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, York Place and Leadhall Lane would not be included in the plan.

A report due before Cllr Duncan said the main roads were either identified as “strategic distributor” or “main distributor” roads, adding:

“Practically given the recognised role in the strategic network and their function to carry high volumes of traffic between primary destinations it is not considered appropriate to implement physical traffic calming features and an associated speed reduction to 20mph.”

Meanwhile, the council said Leadhall Lane  “does not have identified destination points such as schools, shops or sports centre” and a 20mph limit would be “difficult to achieve”.

A map of the 20mph areas in Pannal and Oatlands. Picture: NYC.

A map of the 20mph areas in Pannal and Oatlands. Picture: North Yorkshire Council.

‘Incredibly disappointed’

Christopher Harrison, headteacher at Oatlands Infant School, said he was “incredibly disappointed” with the news.

He hoped the council would reconsider and reduce the speed limit on Hookstone Road to 20mph from 30mph, adding:

“As headteacher of Oatlands Infant School, I am incredibly disappointed by the decision to keep Hookstone Road at 30mph.

“We have a healthy, active school community who love to walk, cycle and scooter to school alongside Hookstone Road on a daily basis.

“We worry that the current speed limit of 30mph is not safe enough for our children, and that a reduction to 20mph would enable more families to travel to school in safety. We hope that North Yorkshire Council reconsider this decision with our youngest, most vulnerable members of our community in mind.”

But Mr Harrison was not alone in his concern, as campaigner Hazel Peacock also urged the council to reconsider. She said:

“For the safety and well-being of the 9,000 school children and the wider community in Oatlands and Pannal Ash we urge North Yorkshire Council to reconsider the inclusion of Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, Leadhall Lane, part of Leeds Rd (A61), Otley Rd (B6162), Wetherby Road (A661) and York Place (A6040) as 20mph in the Harrogate (south and west) 20mph Speed Limit review to be considered by Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transportation and mayoral candidate, on Monday 18th December.

“Without the inclusion of Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, Otley Road and part of Wetherby Road specifically only five of the nine schools in the zone will be fully covered with 20mph roads immediately surrounding them; leaving St John Fishers Catholic High School and Willow Tree Primary School on 30mph roads and a combination of 30mph and 20mph in the case of Harrogate Grammar School and Oatlands Infant School.”

Next steps

The authority recommended the scheme, which is estimated to cost £200,000, proceed to consultation on traffic regulation orders for the areas proposed to be reduced to 20mph.

The recommendation was approved following an environmental meeting on Monday, December 18.

The council said in its decision:

“Approval given to allow officers to proceed; with the necessary consultations and Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process to seek to implement a 20mph speed limit, together with associated traffic calming measures as identified in the residential roads as outlined in Appendix A of the report and with signing and lining reviews of Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive and Wetherby Road.”

It said officers are to provide the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee progress updates in Spring 2024.

The authority added:

“The recommendation aligns with several of the Council’s priorities linked with Highway Safety, Place and Environment and Health and Well Being.

“By introducing a reduced speed limit from 30mph to 20mph in these areas it is hoped that a safer and healthier environment will encourage enhanced active travel opportunities for all ages of the community, this may be walking, wheeling, accessibility to the bus or cycling.

“The introduction of such measures is subject to satisfactory consultation and the completion of the formal Traffic Regulation Order advertising process.”

A bad year for fatal collisions

The Harrogate district has seen several fatal crashes throughout this year, with one road becoming a common denominator in the incidents.

Four out of six fatal collisions happened on the A61, which runs between Ripon and Harrogate, two of which occurred within just eight days of each other.

A 59-year-old motorcyclist was killed on the road on August 29. Officers believe that the motorcyclist was travelling with a group of unknown motorcycles immediately before the collision and he was at the rear of the group.

Just a few days later, three members of a Ukrainian family were killed in a three-vehicle crash that involved a double decker bus on Sunday, September 3. A teenage girl was left orphaned.

Following the collisions, residents of South Stainley called for a speed limit reduction from 60mph to 50mph in October.

Rebecca Brewins, who lives alongside the road and lost her parents in a crash at South Stainley 11 years ago, led the campaign.

She and other residents met Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith, who subsequently urged North Yorkshire Council to act.

Richard Flinton, the council’s chief executive, indicated at the time the authority considered taking action.

In a letter to Mr Smith, seen by the Stray Ferret, Mr Flinton wrote:

“The reports for the recent fatal collisions are currently being drafted, but I am able to advise that the road environment was not considered to have been a factor in the cause of either fatal collision

“Therefore, the recommendations are limited to small scale localised improvements, such as the cleaning of road signs and refreshing of white lines.

“Nevertheless, in recognition of community concerns, North Yorkshire Council is currently carrying out a series of speed surveys along the A61, with a view to reducing the speed limit from 60mph to 50mph.

“Whilst mean speeds are unlikely to be excessive, the intention here is to set the expectations of the motorist, of the lack of overtaking opportunities, bends and other hazards associated with a high speed rural road.”

Police at the scene of the triple fatality on Sep 3 2023

Mr Flinton added the council was expected to consult on introducing a traffic regulation order to reduce the speed limit from the national default speed limit of 60mph.

He also said engineers will undertake “a full route analysis of the A61” to identify what else can be done to make the road safer.

Despite hopes of action being taken, another person was killed on the fated road just weeks later.

90-year-old Lucjan Wilk was hit by a car on the road, near Killinghall, after getting off the 36 bus.

His daughter, Paulina, whom he lived with, contacted the Stray Ferret to voice her concerns following her father’s death.

She urged North Yorkshire Council to reduce the speed limit on the “horrendous road”.

As well as suggesting a 30mph speed limit – instead of the current 40mph – Paulina also insisted the council should install proper lighting and introduce other traffic-calming measures, such as speed-indicator display signs.

It appears the requested measures are yet to come to fruition.

Lucjan Wilk was killed on the A61 near Killinghall.

Fatal collisions also happened on Brimham Rocks Road, near Pateley Bridge, North Park Road in Harrogate and the B6265 near Boroughbridge.

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Council rejects 20mph limit on main roads near Harrogate schools

North Yorkshire Council has rejected requests to reduce the speed limit on some main roads outside schools in Harrogate to 20mph.

A report due before Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways, will recommend creating a 20mph zone outside schools in the Pannal Ash and Oatlands area of the town.

The council announced plans for the “landmark” zone in September following a safety campaign by residents, councillors and schools.

The proposed area for the new zones included seven Harrogate schools. These are Harrogate Grammar School, Rossett Acre Primary School, Rossett School, Ashville College, St Aidan’s Church of England High School, Oatlands Junior School and Oatlands Infants School.

It included roads such as Arthurs Avenue, Oatlands Drive, Yew Tree Lane and Cromwell Road.

But it now appears main routes Leeds Road, Wetherby Road, Otley Road, Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, York Place and Leadhall Lane will not be included in the plan.

A map of the 20mph areas in Pannal and Oatlands. Picture: NYC.

A map of the 20mph areas in Pannal and Oatlands. Picture: NYC.

Neil Renton, headteacher at Harrogate Grammar School, told the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee in September he hoped Otley Road — where students enter the school — could be reduced to 20mph.

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But the report due before Cllr Duncan on December 18 says the main roads were identified as either “strategic distributor” or “main distributor” roads.

It added:

“Practically given the recognised role in the strategic network and their function to carry high volumes of traffic between primary destinations it is not considered appropriate to implement physical traffic calming features and an associated speed reduction to 20mph.”

Meanwhile, the council said Leadhall Lane “does not have identified destination points such as schools, shops or sports centre” and a 20mph limit would be “difficult to achieve”.

‘Incredibly disappointed’

Christopher Harrison, headteacher at Oatlands Infant School, said he was “incredibly disappointed” by the plans.

The school caters for pupils between the ages of four and seven.

Mr Harrison said he hoped the council would reconsider its proposals and reduce the speed limit on Hookstone Road from 30mph to 20mph.

He said:

“As headteacher of Oatlands Infant School, I am incredibly disappointed by the decision to keep Hookstone Road at 30mph. 

“We have a healthy, active school community who love to walk, cycle and scooter to school alongside Hookstone Road on a daily basis. 

“We worry that the current speed limit of 30mph is not safe enough for our children, and that a reduction to 20mph would enable more families to travel to school in safety. We hope that North Yorkshire Council reconsider this decision with our youngest, most vulnerable members of our community in mind.”

Cyclist on Otley Road. Photo: Hedgehog Cycling

Otley Road

Hazel Peacock, of the Oatlands Road Safety and Active Travel Campaign, said the plans did not go far enough and urged the council to include the roads in the proposals.

She said:

“For the safety and well-being of the 9,000 school children and the wider community in Oatlands and Pannal Ash we urge North Yorkshire Council to reconsider the inclusion of Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, Leadhall Lane, part of Leeds Rd (A61), Otley Rd (B6162), Wetherby Road (A661) and York Place (A6040) as 20mph in the Harrogate (south and west) 20mph Speed Limit review to be considered by Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transportation and mayoral candidate, on Monday 18th December.

“Without the inclusion of Hookstone Road, Hookstone Drive, Otley Road and part of Wetherby Road specifically only five of the nine schools in the zone will be fully covered with 20mph roads immediately surrounding them; leaving St John Fishers Catholic High School and Willow Tree Primary School on 30mph roads and a combination of 30mph and 20mph in the case of Harrogate Grammar School and Oatlands Infant School.

“Considering people hit by a vehicle at 20mph are around five times less likely to be killed than at 30mph (Transport for London data) and that 16 children are killed or seriously injured in road crashes every week on their way to or from school (Public Health England), it is clear why the inclusion of these roads as 20mph matters.

“We hope Cllr Duncan will include them to prioritise the safety and well-being of the school children and members of the community as has been done on ‘main roads’ by other local authorities, in many including nearby Otley, Leeds, Nottingham, Manchester, Glasgow, London, rural villages in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.”

The scheme is estimated to cost the council £200,000.

The authority has recommended proceeding to consultation on traffic regulation orders for the areas proposed to be reduced to 20mph.

A decision will be made on the recommendation at next week’s meeting.