North Yorkshire County Council is in early discussions with Welcome to Yorkshire over funding next year’s Tour de Yorkshire if the body fails to get sponsorship.

The event, which is usually held over the May Day bank holiday weekend, has not taken place for the last two years due to covid.

The request for funding in 2022 is understood to have been made to numerous local authorities, which are host towns for the race.

As Harrogate is not a host town, Harrogate Borough Council is not expected to contribute to the costs. But if North Yorkshire County Council agrees to do so then everyone in the county would pay through their council tax.

The race is being promoted as an opportunity to aid economic recovery across the region, and in particular in host towns and cities of Leyburn, Barnsley, Beverly, Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds, Redcar and Skipton.

Read more:

• Council’s £500k Welcome to Yorkshire loan extended for ‘technical reasons’
• Welcome to Yorkshire posts losses of £200,000
• 2021 Tour de Yorkshire cancelled

Richard Flinton, chief executive at North Yorkshire County Council, said: 

“We are in early discussions about what is needed to enable the Tour de Yorkshire to take place, including whether there needs to be any underwriting of the sponsorship element that Welcome to Yorkshire wants to raise. 

“We have not yet taken any decisions about the Tour de Yorkshire.”

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Richmondshire District Council is among the district councils that may be asked to contribute to the event.

An officer’s report to a council meeting next Tuesday said in addition to the usual estimated costs of hosting a stage of the event, “there may be a requirement to underwrite a further amount by the end of June to allow Welcome to Yorkshire to commit to the race”.

The report states there would be a potential extra £100,000 cost to Richmondshire council alone, on top of the £160,000 it has already agreed to pay, if Welcome to Yorkshire is unable to secure sufficient sponsorship.

The report suggests some of the extra funds could be drawn from the council’s dwindling reserves.

Richmondshire council’s corporate board spokesman, Cllr Stuart Parsons, said the authority would debate whether offering extra funds on a weather-dependent event would be value for money.

He said: 

“Personally speaking, if we are able to raise the money that Welcome to Yorkshire expects we should be investing that money in expanding events that directly function in Richmondshire, like the Swaledale Festival and Richmond Walking and Book Festival as they would bring in a much longer term gain for the local economy.”

‘No better promotion’

However, Cllr Carl Les, Welcome to Yorkshire board member and county council leader, rejected the criticisms, saying it was a duty of councils to promote their areas to a wider audience.

He added: 

“I am satisfied with the probity and governance arrangements around Welcome to Yorkshire. There’s a new chairman and a new chief executive in place, new board members and audit and other controls in place following reports by Clarion Solicitors and accountants BDO.

“While staycation is going to of benefit this year, in future years we are going to have to be more competitive with other destinations, so we need to set out our stall the best we can, and there isn’t a better way of promoting the geography of an area than following a cycle race as it goes on television for hours. If you had to buy that sort of advertising it would cost millions.”

A bid for almost half-a-million pounds of post-Brexit cash to support the Harrogate district economy is to be submitted to a new government fund.

North Yorkshire County Council is hoping to win £432,009 from the Community Renewal Fund, which has been launched as a replacement for the loss of EU funding streams after Brexit.

The funding would be used to invest in skills, jobs and local communities.

Thirteen projects from businesses and community groups in the Harrogate district have been shortlisted for the funds, although full details have yet to be announced.

Speaking at a meeting yesterday, Cllr Andrew Lee, executive member for open to business at the county council, said the wider North Yorkshire region had bid for a total of £8.4 million, which he hoped would provide a “shot in the arm” for the county’s Brexit transition and Covid recovery.

He said: 

“The Community Renewal Fund is seen as an essential tool in the government’s levelling up agenda and I’m exceptionally pleased we have been able to secure 66 applications.

“Our officers have managed to shortlist these applications down to 28 projects with a total of £8.4m that we now intend to submit to government.

“If this is successful, we believe this will provide a real shot in the arm for our county.

“I believe we have certainly hit the government’s brief which is to enable innovation. I hope we will secure the full £8.4m for North Yorkshire and I look forward to hearing from government on the final funding award in July and August.”

Of the £8.4 million, Harrogate would receive the lowest sum, while Scarborough and Richmondshire would get the most with £2,981,341 and £1,904,097 respectively after being identified as priority areas by the government.

Read more:

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• MPs watch: Timid flowers, Eurovision and Knaresborough banks
• Harrogate and Knaresborough could be shrunk, under parliamentary boundary shake-up

Applications for the cash closed in May. The government will have the final say on which projects are granted funding, with an announcement expected in July or early August.

The Community Renewal Fund fund is initially being trialled as a pilot scheme before the Shared Prosperity Fund, announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in November’s spending review, is fully rolled out next year.

North Yorkshire County Council will also make a bid to the government’s Levelling Up Fund, which will provide a one-off capital investment of up to £20 million “in infrastructure that improves everyday life”.

Feasibility studies have already been carried out into several local projects, including an anaerobic digestion plant in Ryedale, an electric vehicle charge network and the renewal of Ripon Barracks.

Karl Battersby, the county council’s corporate director of business and environmental services, told Tuesday’s meeting that the authority had now shortlisted three projects, with the full details to be revealed after the bid is submitted.

He said: 

“There is currently a round one for submissions and a round two which has yet to be announced. What we have determined in numerous discussions is that it would be much better for us to submit a comprehensive round two bid where we can maximise the opportunities that the Levelling Up bid presents.”

Feasibility work will be conducted this summer on plans to build a park and ride bus service for Harrogate.

A park and ride scheme was proposed in January as part of a series of transport initiatives to reduce traffic and ease congestion.

Two locations in Pannal on the 36 bus route were identified as possible sites.

Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, said at the time the scheme “could happen fairly quickly” depending on developments.

But there has been no news since as other proposed transport initiatives, such as the £7.9m Station Gateway project, have dominated the headlines.

This prompted a reader who supports the creation of a park and ride service to contact the Stray Ferret asking what had happened to the idea.

In response to requests for an update, Cllr Mackenzie told the Stray Ferret:

“All of the proposals in the Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme are in the feasibility stage and further work will be commissioned this summer.

“Nevertheless, a park and ride remains one of the measures we are considering to reduce traffic and ease congestion in and around Harrogate.

“The development of park and ride proposals would require more detailed modelling, testing of options and public consultation.

“We need to develop these plans along with other Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme priorities such as cycling and walking, bus priority and junction improvements.”

Cllr Mackenzie added council officers “are continuing to consider both the A61 and A59 to assess ways of improving provision for pedestrians and cyclists, provide bus priority and also seek to tackle some of the most problematic junctions”.

He said:

“By turning our attention to active travel models we hope to reduce congestion and improve the network without the need for additional, costly construction.”

Read more:

• Stray Views: Harrogate park and ride was a great idea — what happened?
• Harrogate park and ride could be built in Pannal

The Harrogate district could receive £432,000 from a new government fund to create jobs and invest in skills.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government unveiled the UK Community Renewal Fund in March to replace the loss of EU Structural Funds after Brexit.

The £220 million scheme is to be used to invest in skills, create jobs and help businesses.

The fund is initially being trialled as a pilot scheme before the UK Shared Prosperity Fund is fully rolled out next year.

Read more:

• Council to press ahead with Ripon Leisure Centre ‘hole’ investigation
• Harrogate council writes off £632,000 in unpaid council tax and rates

North Yorkshire County Council is set to bid for £8.4 million for the seven districts of North Yorkshire.

A report due before the county council’s executive next week has recommended the seven district councils receive the following sums if the bid is successful:

North Yorkshire County Council’s breakdown of how much each district would receive from the fund.

Of the seven districts, Harrogate would receive the lowest sum of £432,009. Scarborough would receive the highest, with £2,981,341 outlined in the proposal.

The government will have the final say on which projects are granted funding.

Projects which are awarded funding will have until the end of March 2022 to be completed.

Robert Jenrick, secretary of state for local government, said when outlining the fund:

“We recognise that each area has its unique challenges requiring unique solutions.

“So each pilot will empower places to explore how best to tackle local challenges– whether through building skills, supporting local businesses, supporting communities and places, or providing employment support – to build communities where people want to live, work and visit, while allowing government to evaluate how best to ensure levelling up right across the country.”

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. See below for details on how to contribute.

Beware of dogmatic assertions on pedestrians are cyclists

Marilyn Stowe is right in her article for criticising the dogmatic assertion that “if you build it, they will come” when the council dreams up fantasy numbers of extra pedestrians and cyclists.

It rains in Harrogate. There are hills. Electric bikes are legal up to 25 kilometres per hour (that’s 15 miles per hour) on a bike path shared with pedestrians and with house entrances peppered along the pavement.

E-scooters, Segways, hover bikes are all illegal to use anywhere in the UK except on private land. And if everyone shifts to bikes anyway, where will all the bikes be parked when people are going about their shopping or having a coffee? We will need loads of ‘toast racks’ on pavements for bikes to be secured against theft, and these obstructions on the pavements will make it harder for pedestrians, not easier or more enjoyable.

The destruction of Otley Road environs is inevitable if the council forces in two cycle lanes, two pedestrian walkways and two lanes of traffic. What will go? Trees, hedges, common sense and money.

Just because there is a grant of £8 million, it does not have to be spent.

A small fortune has been spent at the Harlow Moor Road / Otley Road junction; minimal benefit for large disruption and large cost.

It seems that any amount of traffic disruption is justifiable now if some trivial improvement can be made.

Councils used to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ and ratepayers’ money. Now the approach seems to be to grab money from any source and spend it on pet projects — but keep most of the discussion papers secret.

Bob Hankinson, Harrogate

Salon was right to refuse customer with no face mask

I fully support the actions of the salon that refused to admit a customer who wasn’t wearing a face mask.

People who enter a shop without a face mask, whether they are disabled or not, present an unacceptable health risk to everyone else in that shop.

Coronavirus has put restrictions and loss of liberty on all of us. Disabled people cannot be excluded from this.

Those granted exemption from wearing a face covering are not exempt from catching or spreading coronavirus and are a risk to the health of everyone else.

We cannot allow the needs of the few to put at risk the health of the many.

Mike Monkman, Bilton

I fear for the future of Harrogate

“Shocked” and “depressed” at Stray litter

Read more:

• Harrogate Pubwatch relaunches to keep out town’s troublemakers
• Decision to proceed with £7.9 million Station Gateway sparks anger

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Leading figures at North Yorkshire County Council, which launched numerous loss-making commercial ventures, have spoken of their optimism of turning things round.

The council’s Brierley Group firms made collective losses of £639,000 last year.

Gary Fielding, corporate director at the council, said the losses experienced by its firms, such as housebuilders Brierley Homes, needed addressing after he was repeatedly challenged over the extent of the black hole.

A meeting of the authority’s shareholder committee heard the group was not “a money pit” at which taxpayers’ money was being thrown without being properly accounted for.

Officers and executive members gave a range of explanations as to why the group of firms, which includes ones offering auditing, waste and legal services, had gone into the red.

Read more:

• County council’s trading company records £639,000 loss
• Harrogate council apologises after wrongly threatening council tax payers with court

Members were told the covid pandemic had been “tremendously difficult” for the schools’ catering firm, as kitchens had been kept open for the small number of pupils attending during lockdown.

Councillors heard the £639,000 loss over the last financial year was just a temporary position as some of the council’s firms worked on long-term ventures, such as housebuilding.

‘Hold our nerve’

Officers added the authority would be able to offset its tax position at a group level, utilising the losses of some of its ventures against its profitable ones, to be as tax efficient as possible.

Mr Fielding highlighted that some of the council’s firms had accumulated profits over several years.

He said:

“This is part of the rhythm of commercial activity. You don’t always have positive years and this has been an exceptional year. I think we just need to hold our nerve and look at that in the broader perspective.”

However, Cllr Mike Jordan, a Conservative representing South Selby, replied:

“A loss is a loss and at the end of the day we started these companies not just to provide a service, but to offset having to raise council tax. That’s one of the things we’re trying to do which we’re not going to do.”

Mr Fielding responded:

“If we weren’t worried about losing money that would not be natural and we would be accused of being complacent.”

The council’s finance executive member Cllr Gareth Dadd then said alongside aiming to limit council tax rises, the ventures were set up to provide services.

The meeting heard the council had calculated that the firms had generated £5.2 million of shareholder value in 2020/21.

The council’s chief executive Richard Flinton said the diversity of the group had helped the authority into a better position than the one many other councils were facing.

He said some of the firms were providing unique services for the county. Without the broadband firm NYNet, the meeting heard, many people in North Yorkshire would not have received superfast broadband.

Mr Flinton said Brierley Homes was “a potential disrupter to the market” as it would be more prepared to move forward with developments faster than some major building firms, responding to the need for homes.

The group behind a petition against the Station Gateway proposals has criticised the councils responsible for “ploughing ahead” with the scheme despite what it called “inconclusive” consultation results.

Yesterday it was agreed that designs will be drawn up for the controversial £7.9m project, which could see the pedestrianisation of James Street and Station Parade reduced to one lane of traffic.

A public consultation on the plans this year found 45% of 1,101 respondents in favour of the full pedestrianisation of James Street; 32% said no changes should be made and 17% backed a partial pedestrianisation.

For Station Parade, 49% favoured an option to reduce traffic to one lane, while 27% said it should be retained as two lanes and 24% said neither option was workable.

North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council both support the project, which is being funded by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

It aims to make the area around the station more accessible and attractive, especially to pedestrians and cyclists.

But Anna McIntee, co-founder of the Harrogate Residents Association, which has amassed 800 Facebook members since it was formed three months ago, fiercely opposes the scheme.

Her group is behind a petition against the Station Gateway that has so far achieved over 500 signatures and one against the planters on James Street that has received over 800.

Ms McIntee said the results from the council’s consultation were ‘inconclusive’ because of the modest response and the fact that there was not overwhelming support for any proposal.

Just over 1,000 people, in a district with over 157,000 people, responded to the survey.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“Why aren’t they listening? There’s a lot of anger in the town and they are just ploughing ahead.

“This town has incredible people with incredible ideas. Is this the best we can come up with?”

“It will create a complete funnel neck of traffic.”

Read more:

• Explainer: Station Gateway Project

• Full steam ahead on Harrogate’s £7.9 million Station Gateway project

Speaking at a North Yorkshire County meeting yesterday, Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said the council had listened to businesses.

He said:

“We have been lobbied quite strongly by the business community in Harrogate, of whom one or two members seem to think the gateway scheme is intended to make life more difficult for them. Those comments could not be further from the truth.

“The whole purpose behind the gateway scheme is to make all three of these town centres more attractive to visitors, especially those who want to come and spend money in our shops, restaurants and pubs.”

Traffic evaporation

Last week a report commissioned by the county council said in a “reasonable worst-case scenario” the Station Gateway plans could increase greenhouse gas emissions.

It said this was because reduced traffic flow in the area would force some drivers to take longer alternative routes.

However, it also said the council would refine the scheme to ensure it is environmentally friendly.

Rod Beardshall, transport lead at Zero Carbon Harrogate told the Stray Ferret he disputed this suggestion that traffic would increase elsewhere due to a phenomenon known as “traffic evaporation”.

He said:

“Essentially traffic is not a zero-sum game. It isn’t an inevitability that the same amount of traffic will exist independently of the road availability. The phenomenon of ‘induced traffic’ refers to the increase in traffic over and above what would otherwise have been predicted when new roads are built.

“Conversely ‘traffic evaporation’ is widely seen when road space is reduced. It is this latter phenomenon which will mitigate against increases in congestion elsewhere, and crucially, reduce overall traffic and therefore its environmental impact as people are incentivised to consider other travel options.

“It is always worth repeating that this doesn’t imply that all travellers will seek alternative means of transport and nor do they need to, but enough are likely to for the proposed changes to bring positive results. Those journeys where a car or a van is the only practical option will still be possible and won’t take significantly longer according to the report.”

With the designs due to go to consultation, the Station Parade battle looks set to continue for some time.

Detailed designs for Harrogate’s controversial £7.9 million Station Gateway project are to be drawn up, it was agreed today.

Councillors voted to press ahead with the next stage of the scheme, which could see the pedestrianisation of James Street and Station Parade reduced to one lane of traffic,

The project, which aims to create a more attractive entrance to the town with greater priority for pedestrians and cyclists. is part of the government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

There are similar projects being run in Selby and Skipton but transport officials said Harrogate has proved the most contentious due to resistance from some businesses are worried about the impact on trade.

A recent public consultation, however, revealed public support for a town centre less dominated by cars.

A total of 45% of 1,101 respondents were in favour of the full pedestrianisation of James Street; 32% said no changes should be made and 17% backed a partial pedestrianisation.

For Station Parade, 49% favoured an option to reduce traffic to one lane, while 27% said it should be retained as two lanes and 24% said neither option was workable.

Speaking at today’s North Yorkshire County Council meeting, councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:

“We have been lobbied quite strongly by the business community in Harrogate, of whom one or two members seem to think the gateway scheme is intended to make life more difficult for them. Those comments could not be further from the truth.

“The whole purpose behind the gateway scheme is to make all three of these town centres more attractive to visitors, especially those who want to come and spend money in our shops, restaurants and pubs.”

More detailed designs will now be completed before a business case is drawn up and a final decision is made.

A county council report said the impact on parking and traffic would be kept to a minimum, with just 45 out of 915 parking spaces lost.

The report also said reducing Station Parade to one lane would increase the average car journey time by 53 seconds, or by 1 minute 14 seconds with James Street fully pedestrianised.

Some businesses fear the removal of parking spaces and traffic lanes will mean busier roads and fewer shoppers.

Councillor Mackenzie added:

“In the past I have had concerns about the effect of one lane on Station Parade… but frankly, when I see the benefits that a one lane scheme can deliver, I believe that small additional extra time is well worth it.”

Read more:

• County council and Network Rail are working to find a way to protect the Nab bridge barrier on Harrogate Road
• Explainer: Station Gateway Project

Conservative councillor Michael Harrison, who represents the Lower Nidderdale and Bishop Monkton division, told today’s meeting it was important for the impact on traffic to be a key consideration when a final decision is made.

“This is not just about trying to persuade people to get out of the car – we have got to recognise that this area is a through-route as well.

“If there is a negative impact on travel times then we have got to acknowledge that, quantify it and make sure we have the road system working as efficiently as possible around the scheme.

“That is the right way forward and clearly we are going to do that.”

Further public consultation will now take place in autumn following the development of detailed designs and a business case.

If approved, construction could begin in summer 2022 with completion by March 2023.

Elevate Multi Academy Trust has been appointed to run the new primary school that is being built at Manse Farm in Knaresborough.

The Thirsk-based trust, which was created in 2017, has 12 members schools in north and west Yorkshire, including three in Knaresborough.

They are Meadowside Academy, Aspin Park Academy and Knaresborough St John’s C of E Primary School.

The £5 million school will cater for families moving into the 600-home Manse Farm development on York Road, as well as the wider Knaresborough area.

It is being funded by North Yorkshire County Council, using government grants, and a £2 million contribution from the developer, Linden Homes in conjunction with Taylor Wimpey UK.

The school is set to open in September 2023 after the county council delayed its original planned opening date of September 2022 due to covid slowing construction work.

It will provide 210 places for pupils, with the capacity to be expanded to 420 pupils if necessary.

Nigel Ashley, chief executive of Elevate Multi Academy Trust, said:

“On behalf of Elevate and my team, I am delighted that we have been awarded such a prestigious honour to develop future educational excellence for new families who will be moving into the Manse Farm Estate area.

“We already have strong presence in the Knaresborough area, where we are familiar with the demographics and needs of the local community.

“Our utmost priority is quality provision where we all can achieve together and we look forward to opening the doors to our new, free school in September 2023.”

Read more:

• County council invests over £700,000 in Ripon SEND school 
• Harrogate Grammar School resumes outdoor activities 

The school will be a state-funded academy, in line with Department for Education guidance.

It was granted planning permission in June 2020.

Patrick Mulligan, the council’s member for education and schools, said it had been a “very competitive tender process”, adding:

“The Harrogate Local Plan has identified that in the medium to long term, more than 1,000 new properties will be built in Knaresborough and a new school will be needed over the coming years to meet demand.”

The long-awaited results of a public survey have paved the way for the next stages of the £7.9m Gateway project – but how exactly did Harrogate vote?

North Yorkshire County Council has this week revealed the consultation results which will form the basis of the next stages of the project including the drawing up of detailed designs and a business plan.

But with controversial changes on the table including pedestrianisation and the removal of traffic lanes and car parking spaces – what proportion of residents are actually backing the plans?

Here are the numbers:

Out of 1,101 respondents to the survey held in February and March, 45% voted in favour of fully pedestrianising James Street, while 32% said no changes should be made and 17% backed a partial pedestrianisation.

The remaining 6% of respondents gave no preference for the street.

These results suggest a majority of residents (62%) support pedestrianisation of some sort – whether full or partial – in what marks a major step forward for the idea which has been mooted for years.

For Station Parade, 49% favoured an option to reduce traffic to one lane, while 27% said it should stay as two lanes and 24% said neither option was workable.

Residents were also asked if they felt positive, negative, neutral or didn’t have an opinion on other parts of the project. Here is how they voted:

– Cycle lanes for East Parade (58% positive, 29.3% negative, 12.2% neutral and 0.5% didn’t know)
– Improvements to public spaces at One Arch (70.9% positive, 13% negative, 14.3% neutral and 1.8% didn’t know)
– Improvements to public spaces at Station Square (59.5% positive, 31.2% negative, 8.9% neutral and 0.4% didn’t know)

What is the aim of the Gateway project?

The project is being backed by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund which aims to make it easier, safer and quicker for people to travel on foot, by bike or on public transport by improving connections in town and city centres.

In Harrogate, the aim is to give greater priority to these modes of transport with better connections to the train station, bus station and other key parts of the town.

It is also hoped these changes will result in a reduction in carbon emissions from fewer cars on the road, as well as boost to the economy with shoppers spending more time in the town centre.

There are, however, questions over what impact the removal of traffic lanes and car parking spaces will have on business and the roads.

Read More: 

• Pedestrianisation of James Street moves a step closer
• Businesses warn Station Gateway project could be “hugely damaging” 
• Station Gateway scheme could lead to increase in green house gas emissions

What are the concerns?

The worry from some residents and businesses is that the removal of parking spaces and traffic lanes will mean busier roads and fewer shoppers.

In a joint statement released this week, Harrogate BID, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Independent Harrogate said they were “disappointed that our collective voices have not been listened to” and that they felt what was being proposed would have a “hugely damaging effect” on trade.

They said: “Despite many feeling the outcome is already a done deal, we will continue our dialogue with local councillors and officers, as the final outcome will change the face of Harrogate town centre forever.”

On the flip side, transport officials at North Yorkshire County Council say case study evidence suggests that improvements to public spaces can boost footfall and trading by up to 40%.

They said in a report: “It is often assumed that more parking is the answer to struggling high streets.

“However across Europe, studies have linked the quality of public spaces to people’s perceptions of attractiveness of an area, contributing towards their quality of life and influencing where they shop.”

“Evaluations of pedestrian improvements in Coventry and Bristol show a 25% increase in footfall on Saturdays and predict £1.4million benefits respectively.”

What will the impact be?

The report published earlier this week also concluded that in a “worst case scenario” reducing Station Parade to one lane would increase average journey times by 53 seconds or 1 minute 14 seconds with James Street fully pedestrianised also.

It added the partial or full pedestrianisation of James Street would result in the loss of 45 out of 915 on-street pay and display spaces currently in operation across the town centre.

Currently, at peak occupancy, it is estimated there are 120 on-street spaces unused.

A separate report published by consultants WSP concluded in another “worst case scenario” estimate that the project could result in increased carbon emissions from diverted vehicles having to make longer journeys.

It added, however, that the “transformational change” from the scheme has the potential to “unlock further behavioural change” with more motorists choosing to travel by foot or bike instead of car.

The magnitude of the possible increase in emissions – around 1,400 tons of CO2 over 60 years – was also said to be “unlikely to be considered significant in the context of regional and national emissions targets”.

What do the politicians say?

Harrogate Borough Council has worked closely with the county council on the Gateway project. The authority’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, councillor Phil Ireland, said earlier this week that the survey results were a positive step forward and set Harrogate on path for a “21st century travel network”.

He said: “It’s positive to see that the proposals for sustainable alternatives to the car, and an improved and exciting public realm, have significant support from residents, businesses and visitors alike.

“The benefit of carrying out a consultation early on in the process is that we have everybody’s feedback and ideas to feed into the next phase of detailed design work.

Meanwhile, councillor Don Mackenzie, the county council’s executive member for access and transport, said the next steps of the project would take into account the feedback which had been received.

He said: “We are grateful to everyone across each of the towns who took the time to share their views in the consultation. We have listened.

“The next steps we are considering take into account the feedback we have received. They take account of concerns raised while providing significant benefits to facilitate and encourage people to cycle and walk.

“There will, of course, be further consultation on detailed proposals before final decisions are taken.”

What’s next?

Under the next stages of the project, county councillors will be asked to progress the plans at an executive meeting on Tuesday (25 May). Further public consultation will then take place in autumn following the development of detailed designs and a business case.

Subject to a final approval, the aim is for construction to begin by summer 2022 with completion in 2023.