Pressure grows as politicians join calls for road safety outside Harrogate schools

Pressure is mounting for action to be taken to improve road safety around schools in Harrogate.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has added his voice to calls for reduced speed limits and other measures.

It follows a collision on Thursday, February 2 outside Ashville College which saw two 15-year-old boys from Rossett School left with serious injuries.

Writing on his website, Community News, Mr Jones said he had written to the chief constable of North Yorkshire Police, Lisa Winward, to request immediate action.

He said he had called for mobile speed cameras to be deployed on Yew Tree Lane and Green Lane “as precautionary measures while the police investigate the cause of the accident”.

He has also asked Ms Winward to support traffic-calming measures around the area, including the introduction of 20mph zones outside the entrances to Rossett School and Ashville College.

He added:

“I have been supporting residents in the area for some time in their requests for the county council to work with the police to reduce speeds.

“While we do not yet know if speed was the cause of this incident, we do know that it is a real problem on the long straight roads near Rosset School (sic) and Ashville College.

“There is already a 20mph limit outside the Pannal Ash Road entrance to Rosset School (sic) but no obvious speed signage on Green Lane nor outside the entrance to Ashville on Yew Tree Lane. This seems odd and is something I would like the county council – who are the highways authority – to look at immediately.

“As a precaution too I have asked if police speed checks can be increased in the area while we await the outcome of the investigation. As soon as the investigation is completed any lessons must be identified and actions taken. Road safety around schools, all schools, is a priority.”

Meanwhile, a meeting last week saw 10 headteachers express their concerns to representatives of North Yorkshire County Council and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The meeting was chaired by Red Kite Learning Trust CEO Richard Sheriff and attended by the heads of Harrogate Grammar, Rossett, Rossett Acre, Ashville, Western, St Aidan’s, St John Fisher, Oatlands Infant and Oatlands Junior schools.

NYCC’s corporate director of business and environmental services, Karl Battersby, and highways area manager Melissa Burnham were also taken on a walking tour of the Oatlands area to see the problems and solutions proposed by local campaigners.

They also offered to do the same on Harlow Hill, and said they would report back with some proposals before Easter.

Dr Jenny Marks, who has spearheaded the campaign for changes for more than two years, told the Stray Ferret:

“It was very powerful that all the headteachers were there, and our councillors.

“The council representatives told us it was a difficult town to get changes in, but they definitely want to work with us on it.”

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Councillors around the area have also been supporting the campaign, with two present at Wednesday’s meeting to back the schools’ concerns.

Cllr Mike Schofield, the Liberal Democrat representative for the Harlow and St George’s division of North Yorkshire County Council, said he has been backing the parents’ plans since the day he was elected.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“The tragic events of last week surely go to highlight the issues with the amount of traffic on our roads that are in very close proximity to four schools, one nursery and nursing homes. I know one of the two young men who were involved and get daily updates on their progress, which unfortunately could well be long and slow.

“If we really wish to promote active travel we need to ensure safer roads, safer crossings and safer footpaths. Council need to listen to local residents and have more meaningful and in-depth consultations and use local businesses when it comes to drawing up plans as they have greater knowledge and understanding of local issues.”

In the Oatlands area, parents have also been looking at measures including park-and-stride schemes using local car parks.

Parent Hazel Peacock, whose children attend Oatlands Infant and Junior schools, said they had had support from Cllr John Mann, the Conservative representative of the Oatlands division, who also attended the meeting.

Both he and Cllr Pat Marsh, the Lib Dem for Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone, had used some of their locality budgets to support the planned improvements.

Ms Peacock said she was hopeful NYCC would carry out improvements the footpath between Hookstone Road and Fulwith Mill Lane, to make it more usable even during winter months.

The Stray Ferret contacted Cllr Mann for his views, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

Accident reignites calls for safe routes to Harrogate schools

A campaign to make travel to school safer in Harrogate has been reignited by a collision that left two teenagers in hospital.

The boys, both aged 15 and students at Rossett School, suffered serious injuries requiring multiple operations since the collision last Thursday morning.

A group of parents had already been asking for 20mph zones and safe crossing points around routes to school on Harlow Hill and now say the work is urgently needed before anyone else is hurt.

Dr Jenny Marks has spearheaded the campaign with fellow Harlow Hill resident Ruth Lily. They have spent more than two years putting together evidence and consulting with local people about potential changes to the roads around the area.

Their petition to create a ‘safe streets zone’ has more than 750 signatures.

Dr Marks said:

“We didn’t want to put an application in in isolation and it be unpleasant to the residents.

“So we went to the schools and sports centres and each of them had views on what should be outside their school.

“We created a map and presented that to the local residents’ association and made that the basis for the petition that’s running now. That’s what we have put into the application too.

“We’re doing as much as we can to get everybody’s ideas into one place.”

The pair have also joined forces with Oatlands residents Hazel Peacock and Vicki Evans, who have been working to get measures introduced around schools in their area too.

There are plans to set up schemes to reduce the volume of traffic around the infant and junior schools, including ‘park and stride’ using existing car parks in the area.

Oatlands Infant SchoolOatlands Infant School. Photograph: Geograph, Derek Harper

All of the parents pointed out that, while primary school pupils often walk a short distance to school, they can be travelling much further when it comes to secondary education.

It is more common for secondary age children to walk to school alone, they said, so it was important for them to have acquired road safety skills from a younger age.

For that reason, they are pushing for a strategic approach across the whole area with coordinated measures in place – which, they also argued, would be more likely to be adhered to by motorists than a short stretch of 20mph zone that was never enforced, such as that on Pannal Ash Road.

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The campaigners said they were frustrated by the lack of action on the issue since they began calling for change more than two years ago.

In November 2021, North Yorkshire County Council project engineer Paul Ryan wrote to Dr Marks to say the highways department was “considering a number of options and designs to implement traffic calming measures”, subject to funding.

However, he added:

“In North Yorkshire we regularly analyse our collision and casualty data and we do not have a specific identified issue of children being injured on the roads outside or adjacent to their schools.

“Although these areas can feel busy the data does not indicate an increased likelihood of collisions resulting in personal injury in the vicinity of schools.

“There have been two collisions which resulted in ‘slight’ personal injuries in the last three years, neither of which were speed related. This does perhaps suggest that the perception of danger for road users is greater than the reality.”

The group said even a perception that allowing children to walk to school was unsafe could lead many parents to drive, increasing the number of cars on the roads and making it more dangerous.

‘Behaviour change’

The parents said measures to prioritise and protect pedestrians and cyclists, including reducing the speed limit to 20mph, would encourage more people to walk, reducing the number of cars and improving traffic flow.

They have been following evidence from the Living Streets campaign, which has also been cited by England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, as a way to reduce air pollution and improve health.

Ms Peacock said:

“It’s about communities and connectivity, not just crossing the road safely but people talking to each other as they go.

“You need a plan with all the different possibilities and if you get a target to reduce the number of cars on the road, let’s have a discussion about how that’s being done.

“A lot of this is about behaviour change. If you get the foundations right, you can make that happen.

“What we really would like is open dialogue and conversations about, ‘what are the barriers and how can we discuss those and get a timescale to move forward?'”

Writing to the group again last week, before the accident, Mr Ryan said there was an intention at NYCC to carry out further surveys into traffic, pedestrian and cycle movements and speeds in the area.

However, he said there was no timescale for this, and any future improvements would be subject to funding.

This week, NYCC’s executive member for highways and transportation, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:

“We are aware of a recent serious collision involving two young pedestrians on Yew Tree Lane. Our thoughts are with them and their families, and we wish them a speedy recovery.

“Highways officers are engaging with the local community, including residents, the schools and local councillors, on potential road safety improvements for this part of Harrogate.”

Men in Oatlands live 13 years longer than in Bilton Woodfield, says report

A report has laid bare the stark health inequalities that separate men and women living in different parts of the Harrogate district.

Councillors in the Harrogate borough met this week to discuss an annual health report written by North Yorkshire County Council’s director of public health, Louise Wallace.

The report draws on government public health data that breaks down average life expectancy levels by council ward boundary.

These figures show that men in Bilton Woodfield live, on average, until 74 whereas just a few miles away in Oatlands they live to 87.

Bilton Woodfield is the most deprived ward in Harrogate whereas the Oatlands ward includes some of the most expensive streets in Yorkshire, including Fulwith Mill Lane.

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Ms Wallace said there is a higher prevalence of factors such as smoking in more deprived areas and that employment types and education can contribute to the differences in life expectancy.

The data also reveals that women live to 91 in Claro, which includes villages north of Knaresborough. However, in Knaresborough Eastfield the average life expectancy for females is far lower at 78.

The average life expectancy for men in England is 79 and for women it’s 83.

Improving lifestyles

The report also said the number of higher risk drinkers in England has increased since the pandemic, with the heaviest drinkers and those in lower socioeconomic groups increasing their consumption the most.

John Mann, Conservative councillor for Pannal, asked Ms Wallace what the council is doing to help people stop drinking and drug-taking in the Harrogate district.

He said:

“I’m interested in reducing excessive drinking, I mean we all like a drink, but some people go to excess which is not good for you. 

“Drinking at home or socially is a bit addictive and does affect family life and career progression and health.”

Ms Wallace said the council is currently drafting a new alcohol strategy to replace the previous document from 2014-2019. 

She added:

“When people need support around alcohol we have a commissioned service with Horizons but we need to get some whole population messages out there. 

“You’re absolutely right for the potential of excessive  drinking and what that might mean. We’re seeing an increase in alcohol-related admissions or illnesses as a result of excessive alcohol use.”

 

Power cut hits shops and 4,000 homes in Harrogate

A power outage hit 4,246 households and forced shops to close in Harrogate this morning.

The outage affected homes around Otley Road and Leeds Road, as well as businesses in the Oatlands and Harlow Hill areas.

While Northern Powergrid said it only lasted for 10 minutes, customers reported problems for around half an hour from 10am onwards.

Both M&S Food and the Co-op in the Oatlands area had to ask customers to leave when their lights, fridges and automatic doors stopped working. Other shops in the area also closed during the outage.

Traffic lights and pedestrian crossings were also reported to have been affected by the power cut.

A spokesperson for Northern Powergrid said:

“Everything is completely back on now. We don’t know what caused it, but we have transferred customers onto a healthier part of the network and our engineers are investigating.”

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Staff remember former manager as M&S Food in Harrogate relaunches

The reopening of the expanded M&S Food in Harrogate was carried out today in memory of a former colleague.

Team support manager Catherine Deakin was chosen to cut the ribbon after a three-month refurbishment and extension of the Leeds Road store.

She and colleagues wore t-shirts in memory of former store manager Dan Tonks, who took his own life last year. She said:

“I was Dan’s best friend. He’d moved on and was working at a different store, but we always kept in touch.

“Our current store manager wanted to do the opening today for Dan.”

Store manager David Anderson added:  

“It was really important for everyone at the store to use the moment to remember our dearly missed colleague, Dan, who was such a big part of the team.”

While there was some sadness as staff remembered a former colleague, there was also an air of celebration in the shop.

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Its floorspace has been extended by 60%, taking in the former sofa shop next door, and the layout has been altered to give a market hall feel to the fruit and vegetables, bakery and cheese sections.

The café, which was at one point under threat of closure as part of the plans, has been retained, though is now smaller than it was previously. A petition had been set up by locals to keep it open.

With 17,000sq ft to cover, a further 30 staff have been hired in recent weeks ready for the run-up to Christmas, bringing the total number of staff to 125.

Dawn King with her winning golden ticket

Shoppers queued outside this morning ready for the official opening at 9am. The first 200 customers were given golden tickets, each containing a prize – and Dawn King scooped £200 in M&S vouchers.

Inside, the Harrogate Band provided festive music as people explored the shop.

Mr Anderson said:

“The last few weeks have been spent putting the finishing touches to our new store and I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to make sure everything is ready for our big opening day.

“We’re really proud of this amazing new M&S Foodhall. It’s an exciting investment in Harrogate and I can’t wait for our customers to explore all of the new in-store features and fantastic M&S Food products that we have to offer.”

M&S to give ‘golden tickets’ to first 200 people at Oatlands foodhall tomorrow

Marks & Spencer is to award ‘golden tickets’ to the first 200 customers at its Harrogate Oatlands foodhall tomorrow to mark the store’s official re-opening.

The foodhall on Leeds Road has undergone a major refurbishment and extension. It is now 60% bigger, and includes a bakery and wine shop — but the customer cafe is much smaller.

Although it is currently trading, tomorrow’s official reopening will see Percy Pig award golden tickets to the first shoppers at 9am. Each ticket guarantees a prize ranging from a free bag of sweets or cookies to a £200 voucher.

Store manager David Anderson said:

“We can’t wait until Tuesday morning when we can welcome customers through our doors.

“It’s been a busy few weeks behind the scenes working hard to put things together and we’re excited for everyone to see what the new store has to offer. Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch on the go or doing your big weekly shop – we’ve got you covered.”

The store, which employs 125 staff on Oatlands Retail Park, is open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 9pm and on Sunday from 10.30am to 4.30pm.

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Long awaited Oatlands Drive cycling survey launched

A long awaited survey on cycling and walking plans for the Oatlands Drive area of Harrogate has finally been launched more than a year-and-a-half after original proposals for one-way traffic were scrapped.

Residents are being asked to make suggestions via an online map ahead of plans being presented by North Yorkshire County Council later this year.

The consultation comes after the council was awarded government funding, but later binned its plans for a one-way traffic system in March 2021 following widespread opposition from residents who said the changes would be “disastrous” for the wider Saints area.

A 20mph limit and traffic filters were then proposed, however, residents were still unhappy.

The council then announced it would use the £200,000 it was awarded from the government’s Active Travel Fund to carry out a review which includes the survey launched today.

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But progress up until now has been slow and it could still be some time before any road changes are introduced as the council said it will have to wait for further funding opportunities.

Kevin Douglas, chairman of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said the delays for all active travel schemes in Harrogate have been “incredibly frustrating” and that he believes there has been some “muddled thinking” on the Oatlands Drive area.

He said: 

“We have said all along that there needs to be a segregated cycleway on Oatlands Drive to encourage people to link with the Harrogate gateway project.

“But whatever they decide to do, they are going to have to get on and have the backbone to deliver.”

As well as the survey, the council is also gathering traffic data looking at parking and how people choose to travel in the Oatlands Drive area which includes St. John Fisher Catholic High School and St. Aidan’s Church of England High School.

The council said this will capture the volume and speed of traffic, as well as what type of vehicles are used.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive member for highways at the authority, added: 

“We are looking at options for active travel and traffic calming improvements in the Oatlands area as part of our aim to encourage cycling and walking, easing congestion and improving air quality in Harrogate.

“Previous consultations about the Oatlands area have generated a lot of comments, so we have made a commitment to carry out a more detailed study to assess possible improvements there.

“The public engagement demonstrates our commitment to ensuring local people are involved in the design process from the outset.”

Under other active travel schemes, the council previously said final designs for Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue and the A59 near Knaresborough – which include cycle lanes, improved crossings and reduced speed limits – were “likely” to be revealed this summer.

However, this has been pushed back until at least the New Year.

To have your say on proposals for Oatlands Drive here.

Cycling and walking plans ‘not a top priority’ for county council, says campaign group

A campaign group has claimed that improvements for cycling and walking in Harrogate are not a top priority for the county council which has revealed more delays for key projects.

Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said transport officials have found more time for infrastructure upgrades for cars than active travel.

His comments come after North Yorkshire County Council announced it is preparing to launch a consultation on plans for Oatlands Drive and phase two of the Otley Road cycle path which now won’t be built until at least next summer.

Mr Douglas said the latest delays were “incredibly frustrating” and that it is now “vital” that progress is made.

He said:

“Unfortunately we know the priorities tend to be on issues around car transport – and that can be seen in the time it has taken to get these active travel schemes moving.

“Some of the first consultations on these schemes were held in January 2019 and yet here we are still doing the same thing now.

“The most disappointing thing of course is the latest on the Otley Road cycle path. There are no firm dates and it just keeps flipping away from us.

“But I’m not surprised as vague deadlines seem to be the order of the day.”

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This coming Monday will see the launch of the long-awaited consultation on new proposals for Oatlands Drive after original plans for a one-way traffic system were scrapped after a backlash from residents.

This came after government funding for the scheme was awarded in November 2020.

But the delays for the Otley Road cycle path stretch back much further after the project first secured cash in 2017.

Five years on, the first phase of the route has yet to be completed as some sections need to be rebuilt, whilst final designs for phase two have not been revealed.

Councillor Keane Duncan, executive member for highways at the county council, said three design options are being considered for the second phase and that the consultation results will be presented in November. He said:

“The public engagement demonstrates our commitment to ensuring local people are involved in the design process from the outset.

“There are pros and cons for all of the proposed designs which is why we need to engage with local residents and stakeholders.

“It’s important to consider the possibility of conflict between road users, including cyclists and pedestrians, as well as the impact on properties along the route and parking.”

Councillor Duncan added:

“Previous consultations about the Oatlands area have generated a lot of comments, so we have made a commitment to carry out a more detailed study to assess possible improvements there.

“Once completed, we will assess public responses along with the traffic data to develop potential options.”

The first phase of the Otley Road cycle path opened at the start of this year, but some sections are to be rebuilt following safety complaints. This includes the junction with Harlow Moor Road, although the county council has yet to purchase a plot of land to make the junction bigger.

Under other active travel projects, plans for a 7km cycleway in Knaresborough and other improvements in Ripon were shelved altogether in the summer when a bid for £1.5 million in government cash was rejected.

Consultations on final designs for cycling and walking improvements on Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue and the A59 near Knaresborough have also been pushed back until at least the New Year.

And there have been further setbacks for Harroagte’s Gateway project which has been hit by a legal threat.

This sparked a third consultation on the £11.2 million project and over 2,000 responses were received in summer ahead of a pending decision from the county council on whether to submit a final business case for funding.

New plans to promote cycling in Harrogate to be revealed on Monday

A consultation will begin on Monday on new plans to promote cycling and walking in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire County Council also revealed today it now “hopes” to start phase two of the Otley Road cycle route in summer next year — more than a year after it had planned to begin.

Monday’s consultation will ask for suggestions to improve active travel in and around Oatlands Drive, as well as for views on the Otley Road cycle route, its links with Beech Grove and the town centre.

Previous plans to reduce congestion in Oatlands, which included introducing a one-way system on Oatlands Drive, were shelved in spring last year after numerous complaints.

As part of its latest plans, the county council will undertake a traffic survey looking at parking, modes of transport and the volume and speed of traffic.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:

“We are looking at options for active travel and traffic calming improvements in the Oatlands area as part of our aim to encourage cycling and walking, easing congestion and improving air quality in Harrogate.

“Previous consultations about the Oatlands area have generated a lot of comments, so we have made a commitment to carry out a more detailed study to assess possible improvements there.

“The public engagement demonstrates our commitment to ensuring local people are involved in the design process from the outset.”

Cllr Duncan said he hoped “potential options” would be presented by the end of the year “so they will be ready when further funding becomes available”.

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Further public engagement on phase two of Otley Road cycle route, its links with Beech Grove and the town centre will run alongside that of Oatlands Drive, focusing on the final designs.

‘Pros and cons for all designs’

Three options for the cycle route are being considered. A meet the designer event will also be held for local stakeholder groups and residents, allowing them the opportunity to discuss the options in further detail.

Cllr Duncan added:

“There are pros and cons for all of the proposed designs which is why we need to engage with local residents and stakeholders.

“It’s important to consider the possibility of conflict between road users, including cyclists and pedestrians, as well as the impact on properties along the route and parking.”

Harrogate cycling routes

The interactive map showing proposed town centre cycle routes.

An interactive map giving an overview of active travel projects in Harrogate and how they link together is available here.

The consultation will run from Monday until November 28. Further details will be available here.

 

Business Breakfast: Harrogate’s Christmas plans revealed this week

Harrogate Business Improvement District will be joined by representatives from Market Place Europe and Destination Harrogate to share plans for Christmas 2022 to businesses.

Last Christmas saw a change to previous years with the creation of the first Harrogate Christmas Fayre, in the town centre from December 3 to 12. Festivities included a free road train called the Candy Cane Express, a carousel, helter skelter and ferris wheel.

It followed Harrogate Borough Council’s decision to deny a licence to the former market organised by the Harrogate Christmas Market on Montpellier Hill.

The meeting this Thursday is at the Yorkshire Hotel’s Sky Bar at 5.30pm.

Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID manager, said:

“At Thursday’s BID Club, we will be informing businesses what will be happening within the town centre this festive season.

“We will be joined by Destination Harrogate and Market Place Europe, who will update us on this year’s Christmas Fayre, including location and number of stalls.

“This meeting is open to all businesses within the BID area, and will be an opportunity for them to ask questions, and to find out how that can get involved with making Christmas 2022 a festive season to remember.”

To reserve a space email info@harrogatebid.co.uk..

M&S temporarily closes cafe at Harrogate Oatlands 

M&S foodhall (2)

How the food hall will look.

Marks and Spencer has temporarily closed its cafe at its Oatlands food hall in Harrogate.

The company planned to close the cafe for good as part of an expansion of its Leeds Road site, but decided to retain it after a customer petition.

But a smaller, new-look cafe will open when the expanded site is launched.

The rest of the food hall will continue to trade throughout with some areas blocked off while the work is underway.

Store manager David Anderson said:

“We’re delighted to confirm that as part of the upcoming extension and refresh of our Harrogate Oatlands store, customers will be able enjoy a new-look M&S cafe alongside a fresh-market style food hall, offering a bigger range of M&S food products than ever before.

“We expect to complete the works later this year and will keep the local community updated as they progress. We would also like to thank local residents around us for their ongoing support as we work to improve the store.”

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