Candidates standing in next week’s Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone by-election have backed proposed new measures to encourage walking and cycling in Harrogate.
North Yorkshire Council is consulting on plans to introduce crossings at the junctions of Slingsby Walk and Oatlands Drive Slingsby Walk and Wetherby Road.
It hopes the move will encourage fewer journeys by car in a part of town densely populated by schoolchildren.
The Stray Ferret asked the five candidates standing in Thursday’s by-election for a seat on North Yorkshire Council for their views on the proposal.
Liberal Democrat candidate Andrew Timothy, who will be defending the seat for the Lib Dems following Pat Marsh’s resignation in February, was the only one not to respond.
The Conservative, Labour, Green and Reform UK candidates all, however, supported the proposal.
John Ennis, who finished runner-up for the Tories when the seat was last contested in 2022, said:
“Having myself campaigned over several years for pedestrian / cyclist crossings at these two points on Slingsby Walk, I very much welcome the fact the council is bringing these proposals forward, and would encourage local residents to respond to the consultation.
“Regarding the council’s reference to possible further traffic changes in the Oatlands Drive area, I am supportive in principle of 20mph, but opposed to any introduction of local one-way systems.”
Labour candidate Geoff Foxall, a former Harrogate borough councillor, said:
“I agree to both of these as necessary safety precautions: for school pupils on Oatlands Drive and residents and school pupils on Wetherby Road. Hopefully, these measures will encourage school pupils to walk or cycle to school rather than be driven there by parents.”
The Slingsby Walk and Wetherby Road junction.
Gilly Charters, who is representing the Green Party, said many residents in the Saints area were worried about child safety and the crossings would address this and support active travel.
She added:
“The local Greens have led the way at North Yorkshire to address speed limits and road safety issues in particular around schools and presented a pilot scheme to Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee which paved the way for campaign groups to get safety measures in place on the roads around schools on the western side of Harrogate.
Reform UK candidate John Swales said he supported the crossings but “with a number of concerns, or reservations”.
He said it wasn’t clear how the pre-consultation was undertaken, and why motorists were not included, or why the cost of the schemes had appeared to increase since they were first mooted.
Mr Swales added:
“Also, I wouldn’t support a 20mph speed limits or junctions being made one-way, without a clear understanding of the benefits and drawbacks.”
The deadline for comments is Sunday, April 14. For more information and to view the plans, click here
Any comments should be emailed to Area6.Boroughbridge@northyorks.gov.uk using ‘Oatlands Drive/Wetherby Road crossing consultation’ in the email title.
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Harrogate could get county’s first tiger crossing to boost cycling
The first tiger crossing in the county could be built in Harrogate as part of new proposals to encourage cycling and walking.
North Yorkshire Council is consulting on plans to build crossing points on Oatlands Drive and Wetherby Road.
Under the plans, a tiger crossing would be built at the junction of Slingsby Walk and Oatlands Drive and a more traditional toucan crossing would be constructed at the junction of Slingsby Walk and Wetherby Road.
It is hoped having two crossings on Slingsby Walk will encourage more people to use the off-road route across the Stray.
The junction of Slingsby Walk and Wetherby Road.
Tiger crossings, also known as parallel crossings, consist of a zebra crossing with segregated zones for cyclists and pedestrians. They are named after similar crossings in Hong Kong that were painted yellow and black.
The one on Oatlands Drive would be sited on a raised table, which would make the crossing more visible and calm traffic. Other traffic calming measures, including a reduction in the speed limit on Oatlands Drive to 20mph, are also in the pipeline.
Both proposals involve the loss of Stray land, which the council would have to compensate for by giving up land elsewhere to become Stray land.
It’s preferred option is land immediately adjacent to the Stray and also to the proposed crossing on Wetherby Road.
The council had previously pledged to have both crossings constructed by the end of this month.
It shelved plans to introduce a one-way system on Oatlands Drive in 2021 after a backlash by residents.
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Council has failed cyclists in Harrogate, says campaigner
A cycling campaigner has described North Yorkshire Council‘s attempts to improve cycling around the Otley Road area of Harrogate as a “failed project”.
The council announced 10 schemes yesterday costing £585,000 to relieve congestion and improve safety in west Harrogate.
Malcolm Margolis, a member of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said the funding provided by government in 2017 included provision for a cycleway from Cardale Park to the Prince of Wales roundabout in Harrogate.
This has now been abandoned, along with other recent cycling initiatives proposed or trialled by the council.
Mr Margolis said:
“This failed project, it should be noted, was the brainchild of the county council, not of cycling campaigners.
“Six years later almost all the cycling elements have been removed.
“This is hugely disappointing, and adds to the council’s failure to deliver funded cycle schemes on Victoria Avenue, the A59 near Knaresborough and Oatlands Drive, and the removal of the successful modal filters on Beech Grove.”
The £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway also looks set to be abandoned after the council admitted it failed to hold a public inquiry before issuing traffic regulation orders.
The council has proposed spending £100,000 to upgrade Nursery Lane for cyclists.
The new proposals include new pedestrian crossings, traffic light upgrades and bus shelter upgrades.
But there is little specifically for cyclists besides a £100,000 upgrade of the no through road Nursery Lane, which is accessed off Otley Road.
A report to councillors about this scheme said it would “investigate the potential of a cycle track order and associated infrastructure works to the surface”. But it adds “third party land would be required”.
New 20mph zone welcomed
But Mr Margolis joined other campaigners in welcoming the proposed 20mph zone covering streets in Pannal Ash and Oatlands.
The zone includes seven schools: 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.
Mr Margolis said this would “make the roads safer for everyone”
Hazel Peacock handing the road safety petition to Elizabeth Jackson of North Yorkshire Council in May.
Hazel Peacock, Dr Vicki Evans, Dr Jenny Marks and Ruth Lily, who represent the groups Oatlands Road Safety and Active Travel Campaign and Pannal Ash Safe Streets, said they were “delighted” the council had committed to delivering the proposals they put forward.
In a statement, they said:
“This is a brilliant response to the calls for safer streets by the local community, schools, education leaders and local cross party councillors, who have been fully supportive of the campaigns in recent years.
“These changes will not only improve safety, but will make a significant contribution to the health and wellbeing of the whole community, access to walking and cycling and the environment.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Cllr Keane Duncan and North Yorkshire Council staff on the delivery and specifics of the plan, to ensure the best possible outcomes for children, young people and the local community.”
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