Nothing generated more debate on the Stray Ferret’s social media this year than schemes to promote cycling in and around Harrogate.
There was the Otley Road cycle path, Beech Grove Low Traffic Neighbourhood, plans to make Oatlands Drive one-way to vehicles and funding for cycle schemes on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate and Harrogate Road in Knaresborough.
But the £10.9 million Station Gateway scheme proved the most controversial of all.
Gateway: petitions and legal threats
The scheme aims to transform the gateway to the town near the bus and train stations by reducing traffic on part of Station Parade to single lane and part pedestrianising James Street while encouraging cycling and walking.
How James Street would look.
With funding for the initiative secured from national government, North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council, which both support the scheme, ran two public consultations this year.
Both revealed a deeply divided town: some welcomed the opportunity to create a greener town by encouraging cycling and reducing car use; others felt the scheme would merely move traffic off the A61 Cheltenham Crescent and onto nearby residential streets, cause delays on Station Parade and damage town centre businesses.
Matters came to a head at a feisty Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting in February when pro-gateway representatives, led by Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, gave a presentation to a sceptical audience.
Don Mackenzie speaking at the chamber meeting.
It ended with businesses threatening to mount a judicial review to halt the process.
The results of the second consultation, published this month, revealed that of 1,320 replies to an online survey, 55% felt negatively, 39% positively and five per cent neutral towards the scheme. One per cent said they didn’t know.
A consultation event in Victoria Shopping Centre.
The chamber has called for the scheme to be halted and two residents groups have filed petitions opposing the project in its current form.
The county council is expected to decide next month whether to proceed with the scheme but the early indications are it will press ahead with final designs in the hope that work will start in spring.
Read more:
- New data reveals dramatic impact of Beech Grove closure on nearby roads
- Majority are negative towards Harrogate Station Gateway, consultation reveals
- ‘Severe weather’ delays Otley Road cycle path in Harrogate
- Victoria Road one-way scheme will stop ‘rat run’, says cycle group
Beech Grove: barriers and cuts across the Stray
North Yorkshire County Council’s decision to ban through traffic on Beech Grove caught many people by surprise in February.
The move aimed to link Beech Grove with the forthcoming Otley Road cycle path and the proposed Victoria Avenue cycling improvements, creating a more connected cycling route around Harrogate.
Tyre tracks on the Stray next to the planters on Beech Grove.
Planters blocking traffic were initially introduced on a six-month trial basis in February but this was extended to 18 months, meaning a decision on whether to extend the scheme will be due after August 2022.
Some vehicles on Beech Grove initially flouted the law by driving on Stray land to bypass the planters.
Data obtained by the Stray Ferret this month following a freedom of information request to the council revealed the move has so far had little impact on cycling journeys on Beech Grove.
It has, however, had a considerable impact on traffic on nearby streets Victoria Road and Queens Road. But the council claims the data reveals there is “no evidence” to support claims that traffic has increased on Cold Bath Road.
Malcolm Margolis on Beech Grove
Harrogate cycling campaigner Malcolm Margolis conducted his own survey, which produced higher figures for cyclists. He claimed it proved the initiative was working well.
The issue looks set to rumble on throughout the year until a decision is made on whether to continue the experiment after August.
Otley Road: work finally begins
Work finally began on the much-delayed cycle path in winter when phase one of the project, from Harlow Moor Road to Arthur’s Avenue, got underway.
North Yorkshire County Council hopes the path will improve safety and alleviate congestion along the Otley Road corridor.
Phase one work gets underway.
Phase one was due to finish before Christmas but the council blamed ‘severe weather’ for another delay and said work should now finish in January.
Phase two, from Harlow Moor Road to Beech Grove, is due to start in March.
It is unclear when phase three, from Harlow Moor Road to Cardale Park, will start. That stretch of the cycle lane relies on developer funding from housing built in the west of Harrogate.
The county council is currently working on various plans, including a feasibility study, for phase three.
Oatlands Drive plans scrapped
North Yorkshire County Council announced in February it had received £1m from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund for four schemes to improve the infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians.
Three of the schemes were for the Harrogate district. They were: the A59 Harrogate Road, Knaresborough, between Badger Mount and Maple Close; Oatlands Drive, Harrogate between Hookstone Road and Knaresborough Road and Victoria Avenue, between the A61 and Station Parade.
The projects for Knaresborough and Victoria Avenue are still due to proceed.
But plans to make Oatlands one-way to traffic and improve the narrow cycle lanes were shelved after 57% of consultation respondents opposed the proposal. They cited the impact on school buses and the creation of a ‘rat run’ on surrounding residential streets at peak times.
Oatlands Drive, Harrogate.
Subsequent traffic proposals for the saints area were also dropped after opposition.
The council said it would commission an Oatlands constituency feasibility study’ to “re-assess opportunities” for infrastructure improvements but so far nothing has been forthcoming.
Traffic continues to park in the cycle lanes on Oatlands Drive. Harrogate Borough Council introduced signs urging motorists not to do it but they appear to have had little impact.
One of the signs on the Stray alongside Oatlands Drive.
Harrogate Borough Council has vowed to replace missing and damaged signs that warn drivers not to park on the Stray.
The signs went up in September in response to concerns that parked cars were regularly straddling the cycle lane and the Stray on Oatlands Drive.
The signs say this is a breach of the Stray Act and could result in a £100 fine.
Harrogate District Cycle Action welcomed the move and the council and the Stray Defence Association hoped the move would prevent tyre damage on Stray land.
However, soon after the signs appeared the Stray Ferret published pictures of motorists ignoring them and cars have continued to line the Stray as before, most commonly at weekends when activities like football take place.
Read more:
- New signs will ‘make people think twice’ about parking on Stray, says council
- Cycle group welcomes new ‘no parking’ signs on Harrogate’s Oatlands Drive
- Drivers defy new ‘no parking’ signs on Harrogate Stray
- Stray Views: Double yellow lines would solve Stray parking problems instantly
Despite the evidence, the council told the Stray Ferret it had not yet handed out any fines for breaches.
A council spokesperson said:
“The signage on Oatlands Drive, that reminds people not to park on the Stray, will be reinstated as we continue to work with the county council to try and find a more permanent solution.
“To date, no fines have been issued.”
It is unclear if the signs have been vandalised or fallen over. But some of the dozen installed are damaged and strewn on the other side of the road.
Some of the signs are damaged.
Harrogate’s Oatlands Drive set to get double yellow lines?
A review into traffic measures on Harrogate’s Oatlands Drive is likely to include new double yellow lines, according to a senior county councillor.
North Yorkshire County Council is due to publish a new set of measures this autumn to improve walking and cycling in the Oatlands Drive area.
The Oatlands Constituency Feasibility Study is being drawn up after the council ditched proposals to introduce a one-way system on the road following complaints from residents.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive councillor for highways at North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret that he expected double yellow lines to be included in the feasibility study.
It follows concern that drivers have been ignoring signs erected by Harrogate Borough Council warning drivers they face a £100 fine or being towed away if they park on Stray land next to the cycle lane on Oatlands Drive.
The new signs on Oatlands Drive.
One side of Oatlands Drive has double yellow lines but the other side — where cars park — does not.
The signs only appeared last week but pictures have already emerged of cars parked right next to the signs blocking the cycle route.
Double yellows expected for Oatlands
Although Cllr Mackenzie said he could not guarantee where the proposals would suggest the double yellow lines be placed, he said they were likely to be included in a “comprehensive scheme” for the area.
He said:
“I’m pretty sure it will be included.”
Cllr Mackenzie added that the county council had outlined plans for double yellow lines in its rejected proposals for Oatlands.
Read more:
- Drivers defy new ‘no parking’ signs on Harrogate Stray
- New signs will ‘make people think twice’ about parking on Stray, says council
- Controversial Oatlands Drive active travel scheme scrapped
But he added that introducing double yellow lines might just increase parking congestion on other streets.
Cllr Mackenzie said:
“We could have put in yellow lines, but we are also aware that residents on St Hilda’s Road are already suffering from long term parkings problems.
“While those people are not breaking any laws, it does make it difficult to get in and out of driveways.
“Every time we introduce them [double yellow lines], it tends to shift the problem elsewhere. If it did not have a knock on affect then we would have done it.”
Cllr Mackenzie said he expected officers to bring the review into Oatlands to him “in the next few weeks”.
A ‘more permanent solution’ needed
Following the introduction of the signs on Oatlands, a borough council spokesperson said the authority hoped people would “think twice” before parking on the street.
The spokesperson added council officials were working with the county council on a “more permanent solution” to the parking problem.
They said that parking on the Stray breached the Stray Act 1985:
“A breach of the act allows the borough council — as custodians of the Stray — to issue a £100 fine to anyone caught parking on the Stray, or to have their vehicle towed away.
“We hope that the signage will make people think twice about parking on Oatlands Drive and allow cyclists to use the cycle path as intended.”
In a letter to the Stray Ferret, Judy d’Arcy-Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association, said yellow lines was the “simplest solution” to parking problems on Oatlands Drive but the county council had been “ridiculously uncooperative”.
Ill feeling lingers after decision to scrap Oatlands cycling schemeBoth sides of the cycling debate have criticised North Yorkshire County Council after it scrapped a controversial active travel scheme for the Oatlands Drive area of Harrogate.
The council received more than £1m from government to improve walking and cycling infrastructure.
It put forward four schemes in North Yorkshire, three of which were in Harrogate and one in Whitby.
But last week it dropped the Oatlands Drive proposals after fierce opposition from residents.
It initially proposed making the whole of Oatlands Drive one-way then revised this to make nearby St Winifred’s Road and St Hilda’s Road one-way.
Both schemes were abandoned, meaning the money will be spent on projects for Victoria Avenue in Harrogate and the A59 in Knaresborough, plus the one in Whitby.
Kevin Douglas, from Harrogate District Cycle Action, said he was disappointed with the way the council handled the Oatlands scheme.
He said:
“The Oatlands Drive one-way idea was dropped by the executive member, Don Mackenzie, at a very early stage.
“Hopefully future plans for the area will involve all agencies.
“On the initial plan, they didn’t even involve St Aidan’s School.
“As soon as there was some opposition they dropped the scheme. That’s disappointing. Hopefully, they learned their lessons and involve more people.”
Mr Douglas said the council had to accept active travel schemes inconvenienced some people and be stronger in the face of opposition if it was serious about improving walking and cycling infrastructure.
He asked:
“Is there a real commitment to dealing with any of this?”
Read more:
Anna McIntee, who lives on Oatlands Drive, campaigned vigorously against the proposals.
She launched petitions and posted on the Facebook group and website she co-founded, Harrogate Residents Association.
She said “everyone was up in arms” about the plans, which forced her to act.
“I couldn’t let go, it opened Pandora’s box”
“Number one for North Yorkshire County Council should have been to engage with residents.
“We want cycling and walking infrastructure but not at the expense of vehicles.”
The council has said the Oatlands consultation responses will feed into an Oatlands constituency feasibility study that will “reassess opportunities” for infrastructure improvements across the area.
But Ms McIntee warned the council could expect more strong opposition if it put forward similar proposals for Oatlands Drive.
“Yes, 100%. They would be wasting their time.”
Controversial Oatlands Drive active travel scheme scrapped
Proposals to make the Oatlands Drive area of Harrogate more friendly to cyclists, which included making some of the Saints area one-way, will now not go ahead following fierce opposition from local residents.
In December, North Yorkshire County Council accepted £1,011,750 as part of a five-year, £2 billion programme by the Department for Transport to improve active travel infrastructure.
The council put forward four schemes in the county: three in Harrogate and one in Whitby.
However, opposition against the Oatlands Drive plans has proved too difficult to overcome for the county council which has now withdrawn it from its bid.
Unpopular with local residents
NYCC had originally planned to make the whole of Oatlands Drive in Harrogate one-way but it was dropped in March after 57% of respondents to an initial county council consultation opposing the proposal.
Opponents cited the impact on school buses and the creation of a ‘rat run’ on surrounding residential streets at peak times.
The scheme moved forward and included making nearby St Winifred’s Road and St Hilda’s Road one way but this was similarly unpopular with residents.
It also proposed to make Oatlands Drive 20mph and to add double yellow lines down both sides of its advisory cycle lane to stop motorists parking there.
Read more:
- Video highlights issue of motorists parking on Oatlands cycle lane
- Residents welcome decision to drop Oatlands Drive one-way scheme
NYCC will instead commission an ‘Oatlands Constituency Feasibility Study’. It says this will “reeassess opportunities” for infrastructure improvements across a wider area than the government scheme allows.
The two other schemes in Harrogate have been recommended for approval, however.
Don Mackenzie, NYCC’s executive member for access, said:
“The work done so far on this scheme will not be wasted since it has highlighted opportunities to deliver improvements more widely in that area. That is why it is proposed to carry out a feasibility study focused on the Oatlands area later this year.
“The three schemes recommended to be taken forward were generally well received by residents. The Oatlands Drive scheme, however, and in particular the one-way filters for motorised vehicles, proved less popular and many local residents expressed their opposition. Since a condition of the Active Travel Fund is that each scheme should have public support, it is recommended that the Oatlands Drive proposal be withdrawn.”
The council said some of the savings made by dropping the Oatlands Drive scheme would be spent expanding its Whitby scheme.
The schemes that have been recommended to go ahead are below:
Victoria Avenue, Harrogate
A59, Harrogate Road, Knaresborough
Recommendations will be considered at a meeting of NYCC’s Business and Environmental Services Executive Members on Friday, May 21.
Video highlights issue of motorists parking on Oatlands cycle laneA social media video has highlighted the long-running issue of motorists parking on Oatlands Drive in Harrogate and blocking a cycle lane.
Frequent parking in the lane has become a major frustration for cyclists, many of whom lament what they consider to be inadequate cycling infrastructure in the district.
Advisory cycle lanes run down both sides of Oatlands Drive. One side of the road has double yellow lines, which makes it an offence to park there.
But the other side doesn’t have any yellow lines, which means there are no parking restrictions. Cars often park on this side of the road, particularly at weekends when football matches take place on the Stray.
The video was shared with the Stray Ferret by a person who asked to remain anonymous. You can watch it below:
‘It really upsets me’
Several Harrogate residents criticised motorists for parking in the cycle lane when asked by the Stray Ferret.
Ruth Ker said:
“I cycle down there regularly and it really upsets me that people park over the cycle lane and onto the Stray.”
Zoe Oxley said:
“There’s not enough cycle lanes in Harrogate as it is without drivers parking over the few we have.”
Cyclist Ian Hallett on Oatlands Drive.
Ian Hallett, a keen cyclist who lives in the nearby Saints area, said:
“When occasional cars are parked in the cycle lane, it is very dangerous as cyclists have to move out into the flow of traffic to avoid them. This is all very frustrating as the road could form a good cycling link from a popular residential area into the town centre.”
Stuart Macintosh said:
“I’d strongly support double yellow lines along there. It would stop the cars parking half on the Stray as well.”
Read more:
- Residents welcome decision to drop Oatlands Drive one-way scheme
- Stray Views: one-way proposals spark safety concerns in the Saints
Active travel scheme
As part of four active travel schemes in the county, North Yorkshire County Council has proposed various measures for the Oatlands Drive area, including painting double yellow lines on both sides of the road to stop people parking there.
However, NYCC scrapped one element of the proposals, a one-way system for Oatlands Drive, after receiving “overwhelming” opposition in its initial consultation.
The scheme has now entered its second consultation phase, but a one-way system around the Saints has proved unpopular with residents, which could throw the whole scheme into doubt.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at NYCC, told the Stray Ferret a decision on whether the plans go ahead will be made next month.
He said:
“We have sought to resolve this problem through the development of the Active Travel Fund scheme for Oatlands Drive, first by proposing one-way traffic management which would create sufficient road width for fully compliant cycle paths, then by proposing double yellow lines along Oatlands Drive as part of a later package of measures for the scheme, which excluded the one-way option.
“In the meantime, it is regrettable that drivers are deciding to block the eastern cycle path by inconsiderate parking.”
Harrogate Borough Council enforces parking restrictions but said it has no power to stop people parking on the Oatlands Drive cycle lane.
A council spokesperson said:
Residents welcome decision to drop Oatlands Drive one-way scheme“We can only enforce if there are parking restrictions when a cycle lane is advisory, like they are in Oatlands Drive.
“Unless NYCC puts a double yellow line down both sides of the road, we can only enforce the restrictions on the one side.”
Residents and councillors have welcomed a move by North Yorkshire County Council to shelve plans for a one-way system on Oatlands Drive.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, confirmed today that the controversial proposal would be scrapped and not included in a detailed consultation from Monday.
It comes as the county council received “overwhelming” opposition after its initial consultation, with 57% of respondents opposed to the plan.
A leaflet campaign was also launched by residents against the scheme which encouraged people to send e-mails to local councillors, media and council officers objecting to the scheme.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access at North Yorkshire County Council, announced today that the one-way plan would be dropped.
Cllr Mackenzie told the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee today that a decision was made to drop the plan after a meeting with officers yesterday. He said it became clear that in “most cases” residents were “vehemently opposed” to the proposal.
Anna McIntee, a local resident whose petition calling on the plans to be scrapped attracted more than 1,700 signatures, said she was delighted with the news.
She said:
“I was watching the meeting live and when I heard the news I jumped around and screamed, I am over the moon. It is the right decision.
“This was an absolutely ludicrous idea. However, the fight is not over. We still need to oppose the Station Gateway plans as that would impact a lot of people as well.”
“I am delighted that it’s been shelved. It was a plan that had not been thought through, particularly with respect to the consequences there would have been on neighbouring estates.“What we should be seeing is a strategic plan where we have principal thoroughfares that relieve smaller side roads.”
Meanwhile, Cllr John Ennis, who represents Oatlands on the county council, said he had received strong opposition to the plans from residents and that he was “grateful” for the decision to scrap the scheme.
Council bosses will now go to the next stage of consultation on the scheme – which the authority bid £215,000 in government funding for – from Monday. It will include proposals for a 20 mile per hour zone on the road.
Read more:
- Half of responses ‘strongly oppose’ Oatlands Drive plan
- 1,000 sign petition calling for Oatlands cycling plans to be scrapped
Other measures including improvements to the toucan crossing on York Place, raised speed platforms at crossings at Slingsby Walk and outside St Aidan’s school will also be included.
Traffic filters will also be proposed for St Hilda’s Road and St Winifred’s Road.
However, Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate and District Cycle Action, said he was disappointed that the one-way system had not been kept in the plans.
He said a series of measures were required for the road in order to meet carbon reduction targets.
Mr Douglas said:
Oatlands Drive one-way plans scrapped“I’m very disappointed it’s not gone through. I don’t know if NYCC will now get the funding.
“I hoped they would consult again on the details for the scheme in a second phase.
“The 20 mph zone is positive, but it depends on how they do it. Will they just put a sign up? It would be really helpful if they would put in traffic calming measures.
“It should be a series of measures, not either/or.
“People have objected and I accept that people have different views from our own. But how are we going to meet our carbon reduction targets without making changes?”
North Yorkshire County Council has today dropped controversial plans to make Oatlands Drive in Harrogate one-way.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, told a Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee that the authority will not pursue the proposal.
Instead, a 20 mile per hour zone will be included in plans from next week.
The one-way proposal proved controversial, with 57% of respondents to an initial county council consultation opposing the proposal.
Cllr Mackenzie told the committee today:
“We decided, and I hope this committee agrees with that decision, that in the overwhelming view of local residents and that of the local elected member, that we should drop that option.
“Therefore, with effect from next Monday when the detailed consultation starts, we will be presenting a detailed design which does not include one-way working.
“It will include, however, a proposal to make the whole area on Oatlands Drive from York Place to Hookstone Road and all the saints residential area a 20 mile per hour zone in order to slow traffic down and bring about an element of safety for walkers and cyclists.”
Cllr Mackenzie added that the council will also look to improve the toucan crossing on York Place, building platforms at crossings at Slingsby Walk and outside St Aidans school.
Traffic filters will also be proposed for St Hilda’s Road and St Winifred’s Road.
Read more:
- Half of responses ‘strongly oppose’ Oatlands Drive plan
- 1,000 sign petition calling for Oatlands cycling plans to be scrapped
Stray Views: could Station Gateway plans cause traffic bottleneck?
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.
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Cycling infrastructure
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Julie Wiggins, Harrogate
Half of the responses to a consultation over plans to make Oatlands Drive in Harrogate one-way were strongly against the proposal, according to a new report.
Of the 2,298 people who responded to North Yorkshire County Council’s consultation, 50% indicated they ‘strongly oppose’ the scheme, while 38% said they supported or strongly supported it.
The scheme proposes making the road one-way southbound, towards Hookstone Drive, to create more space for cycle paths and widened footpaths.
It has already proved controversial, with more than 1,600 people having signed a petition set up by resident Anna McIntee opposing the plans. Opponents have cited the impact on school buses and the increasing creation of a ‘rat run’ on surrounding residential streets at peak times.
However, Harrogate and District Cycling Action said roads including Oatlands Drive need to be made safer for cyclists in order to reduce traffic around Harrogate.
Kevin Douglas, chair of the HDCA, told the Stray Ferret:
“The main aim is to get people cycling for short journeys into the town centre. We hope to have segregate cycle lanes on all the arterial routes.
“Some think that we want the roads to be car free but we just want to be able to share the roads safely.
“Even the most experienced cyclists feel unsafe with big lorries passing them close by and would feel much safer with a segregated lane.”
Read more:
- Campaign against Oatlands one-way scheme ramps up
- Call for public to engage with Harrogate Station Gateway plans
In a report due to be considered by NYCC’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee next week, network strategy officer Louise Neale said:
“In total, we assessed over three hundred potential schemes to put forward as part of our bid for tranche two [funding from the Department for Transport] in August 2020.
“The criteria of the funding was particularly stringent and with a relatively small amount of funding available only a handful of schemes were deemed suitable for this round of funding. Three of the five schemes included in the bid were in Harrogate and Knaresborough.”
As well as the Oatlands Drive scheme, the consultation asked for people’s views on plans to introduce cycle lanes and crossings on the A59 near Harrogate Golf Club, and to improve cycling and pedestrian infrastructure on Victoria Avenue near Harrogate Library.
Both of those schemes proved more popular in the consultation, with 44% and 43% respectively supporting or strongly supporting them.
Full details of the responses to the consultation have not yet been released, but NYCC said it will take the feedback into account. In her report for the area committee, Ms Neale added:
“The first round of consultation focussed on the corridors for the routes rather than detailed design. The feedback from the first round of consultation will be collated to inform more detailed consultation plans.
“The second round of consultation is planned to take place in late March.”