Letter: Extending the Nidderdale Greenway is a ludicrous idea

Your recent article about plans to extend the Nidderdale Greenway fills me with dismay.

The article refers to ambitious plans to extend the Nidderdale Greenway from Ripley to Pateley Bridge and then to Scar House reservoir.

At a time when the world is trying to reduce its carbon footprint, encourage conservation and care of the environment and preserve historic footpaths and bridleways, it seems ludicrous that there should be a suggestion of a Greenway.

We all know it is not a Greenway, it will never be a Greenway but a Blackway as it will result in 19 miles of tarmac being laid over footpaths, bridleways, disused railway lines and virgin land.

It will destroy bridleways, which are used by walkers and horses, it will destroy footpaths that are used by walkers, it will destroy the environment and destroy flora and fauna. It will destroy and displace wildlife, animals, birds and insects from their homes and it will urbanise what is a beautiful rural dale.

I have no objections to cyclists but there is a perfectly adequate road system in Nidderdale for them to use which in part requires some physical fitness.

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The first cycle route from Knaresborough to Harrogate and Ripley is an urban route that people can access easily by cycle or on foot from the town. The proposed Blackway is not an urban route. It would require people to drive to it and then walk and cycle part of it. That in itself will cause congestion and increase our carbon footprint. The villages do not have adequate parking for an influx of vehicles.

Having viewed the Knaresborough to Ripley cycle route I see there has been a great deal of encroachment on to adjoining countryside and I am appalled to think of the amount of encroachment that would happen on any proposed extension.

I have yet to speak to a landowner who is in favour. I have yet to speak to a resident who is in favour, but I have spoken to many people who enjoy walking and riding on the existing footpaths and bridleways, and they are not in favour.

Instead of this constant misplaced enthusiasm that our local authorities show for cycling it would be better if they tried to spend taxpayers’ money on improving the town centre and its attractions. North Yorkshire has many challenges to deal with and a proposed tarmac track up Nidderdale should not be high on its priority list.

Richard Rusby, Burnt Yates

Nidderdale Greenway extension plans set to take step forward

Ambitious plans to extend the Nidderdale Greenway are set to take a significant step forward with the formation of a steering group to oversee the project.

The four-mile cycling and walking route from Harrogate to Ripley is one of the most popular of its kind in the region and is used by an estimated 200,000 people every year.

It opened in 2013, but even before then there has always been long-held hopes of extending the path by up to 23 miles through the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to Scar House Reservoir.

Now, council officials, campaigners and residents are set to come together to form a steering group which will oversee the next stages of the project, including route planning and further talks with landowners.

Campaigner Malcolm Margolis, who is spearheading the project, said:

“It is great news and a really significant step that the steering group is about to be formed – this will really take the project forward in a positive direction.

“We want to get the steering group formed as soon as possible and get working together in autumn.

“We hope to bring together representatives of local parish councils, as well as Harrogate and North Yorkshire councils, and other interested parties who share our vision of a sustainable route through Nidderdale which will be accessible by bike or foot for people of all ages.”

The Nidderdale Greenway is part of the Sustrans cycling and walking network which covers 16,500 miles across the UK.

Sustrans, a national charity which lobbies for and helps build infrastructure, produced a feasibility study for the Nidderdale Greenway extension plans before the pandemic struck.

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The preliminary works involved talks with more than 50 landowners along the proposed route which aims to follow disused railway lines or existing rights of way where possible.

Senior officials at North Yorkshire County Council will meet on Friday to agree to their involvement in the next stages of the project. 

They have signalled their strong support for the extension, although questions have been raised over an estimated costs figure of £6.6 million which a report described as “light”.

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

“Experience teaches me that it is very easy to be optimistic about costs when it comes to things like this, but when you get down to actually looking at the detailed designs, costs can often escalate very quickly.”

He added: 

“I was excited when the Nidderdale Greenway was first created and if we can extend it right along to Pateley Bridge, then so much the better. It would represent a major extension of our cycling network which is to be welcomed.”

Mr Margolis said he hoped the route would be “substantially built” within the next five years and be funded by government grants and fundraising.

However, he added it was “far too early” to be focusing on the costs of the project.

He said:

“We haven’t even finalised the route yet. Costs are obviously an extremely important factor, but not at this stage.

“The extension will be a big task and one that is more difficult than it should be – what it needs above all is political support.”

Longlands Common ‘can be an example to others’, says secretary

A community woodland in Harrogate can be an “example to others”, says the secretary of Longlands Common.

Chris Kitson, secretary of project, said the move to buy the land showed that people do not want any relief road built on the greenbelt and that the idea can be replicated elsewhere.

Longlands Common Ltd, a community benefit society founded in February 2020, held an open day for members and an annual general meeting today where a board was elected and the first tree planting ceremony was held.

It was the first time that the committee had been able to meet with its supporters since the start of the covid pandemic.

Around 3,000 people bought shares in the land. An appeal raised £375,000 to purchase 30 acres of land near Nidderdale Greenway and protect it from development.

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Mr Kitson told the Stray Ferret after the meeting that he hoped the project will be an example for others and would be a “turning point” in attitudes towards nature.

He said:

“This is the people of Harrogate saying: ‘we don’t want a road through here ever’.

“This is the greenbelt. This is the only sort of wildlife corridor in the area and the wildlife depend on it.

“It’s an act of utter recklessness to think that they can just put a road through it and continue to get away with this development and devastation of wildlife and the environment.

“Hopefully today is a turning point in our outlook and thinking. Hopefully we can be an example to others.

“We as people who want a decent planet for our children to live on can do it now. We can do it ourselves, we don’t have to wait around for people in high office.”

He described meeting members who had supported the project as a “beacon of hope”.

Mr Kitson added:

“People have parted with their hard earned money to create something like this.

“This is now our land.”

The future of Long Lands Common, once earmarked for a relief road, finally looks secure for wildlife.

It is first and foremost a nature reserve but the goal is for the public to enjoy it too

Nidderdale Greenway blocked by huge fallen tree near Ripley

A huge tree has fallen on the Nidderdale Greenway, blocking the route to the east of Ripley.

Local resident Megan Hatfield spotted the blockage when she was cycling on the route today and was forced to turn back.

She said the section of the Greenway was “passable by scrambling on foot, but not by bike”.

The tree is thought to have fallen within the last 24 hours. The Greenway is popular with walkers and cyclists, especially at weekends when it is often busy.

North Yorkshire County Council has been alerted to the blockage, which lies less than a kilometre east of where the path meets the A61 at Ripley. However, a spokesperson said trees adjacent to a right of way are the responsibility of the landowner, and NYCC is working to find and make contact with the relevant person.

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Nidderdale Greenway follows the route of an old railway line from Harrogate to Ripley. It was opened in 2013 and is maintained by Sustrans as part of its national network of cycle routes.

Police posters warn of covid fines in beauty spots

Police have put up posters at Harrogate district beauty spots telling people they could be fined if they don’t have a reasonable excuse for being there.

A new batch of North Yorkshire Police posters appeared this week during school half-term at various locations, including the one pictured on Nidderdale Greenway in Ripley.

The posters say covid patrols are taking place in the area and officers will engage with people to ensure they are complying with the rules. They add:

“However, you could get a fixed penalty notice if you are away from home without a reasonable excuse, or are deliberately flouting the rules.”

Nidderdale Greenway, along with other beauty spots, is popular with dog walkers and people exercising. Many people drive there with their dogs.

There has been widespread confusion about how far people can travel to exercise during lockdown.

A Harrogate Borough Council newsletter last month warned people they “run the risk of a fine” if they drove to into the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which includes Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs.

But some people commented that the law does not state how far you can travel to exercise.

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A North Yorkshire Police spokesman told the Stray Ferret the posters had been placed in popular walking sports as part of the effort to limit the spread of the virus. He added:

“Residents in the district can drive to such locations to take exercise, which is an exemption under the health protection regulations.

“The posters and the patrols are there to protect local people from those who travel considerable distances from outside their own area.”