North Yorkshire Council has been in early discussions with a contractor over the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway scheme.

Richard Binks, head of major projects at the authority, revealed the council had held initial talks, known as “early contractor involvement”, with national highways firm Galliford Try.

Mr Binks said the company, which employs 3,700 staff, had been consulted on potential construction costs ahead of work starting on the scheme.

The project was backed by the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee, which advises North Yorkshire Council, by 10 votes to three at a meeting on Friday.

It paves the way for the council’s ruling Conservative executive to give the project the go-ahead on May 30.

Mr Binks told the area constituency committee:

“We are working with a tier one contractor called Galliford Try.

“We are getting monthly market valuations on potential construction cost coming forward before the final tendered price.”

The Stray Ferret has approached North Yorkshire Council to ask about the nature of the discussions with the company and whether Galliford Try is the preferred contractor for the scheme.

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The move comes as the company has also been appointed to similar projects, funded by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, in Stoke-on-Trent and Sheffield.

Galliford Try also took over the construction of the Lincoln Eastern Bypass scheme in 2018 from Carillion, which collapsed.

The appointment led to the project running over Lincolnshire County Council’s budget by £24 million.

‘Piecemeal vanity project’

The scheme will see Station Parade reduced to one lane of traffic so a bus lane and cycle route can be built and James Street partly pedestrianised.

Cllr Pat Marsh, who was one of the three councillors to oppose the project last week, described it as a “piecemeal vanity project”.

Cllr Marsh — who is leader of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Lib Dems — said the scheme had been characterised by poor consultation and lack of any business impact assessment.

But Mr Binks and fellow council officers said it would rejuvenate the area around Harrogate’s train and bus stations and boost the local economy.

Senior North Yorkshire councillors are expected to ratify the gateway plan on May 30.

The full extent of the multi-million pound overspend on the junction 47 upgrade on the A1(M) remains unknown — six months after the project ended.

The scheme near Flaxby, which was originally budgeted to cost £7.7m, finished in April, seven months later than planned.

North Yorkshire County Council revealed more than a year ago that costs had increased to £10m and has not given an updated figure since.

The Stray Ferret asked the council this week when a figure would be published.

Richard Binks, head of major projects and infrastructure at the council, said:

 “We are continuing discussions with our contractor over the final account agreement.

“The project was completed in summer, since then remedial and road safety audit work has been undertaken, so we are only a few months beyond substantial completion of the project.

“It is usual for final accounts to take several months to be brought to a conclusion. We are confident of reaching a conclusion shortly.”

Read more:

• Praise for A1 junction 47 upgrade — but overspend remains unknown
• ‘Use it or lose it’ warning as bus passenger numbers fall across Harrogate district

Scheme ‘unlocks growth around Harrogate’

The scheme involved widening three of the four slip roads onto and off the roundabout to increase capacity, as well as a number of junction improvements.

Traffic signals were installed on the roundabout to improve traffic flow and added to the T-junction between the A168 and the A59, a short distance from junction 47 on the York side to benefit drivers turning onto the A59 and to improve safety.

To the west of junction 47, between the A1 and the Flaxby roundabout, a lane was added for traffic travelling east, so there are now two lanes in each direction between those two roundabouts.

Officials celebrate the completion of works.

Cllr Keane Duncan, the council’s executive member for highways, previously said the project had reduced congestion and improved road safety, adding:

“The scheme unlocks future growth in and around Harrogate, with the changes helping to manage significant residential and commercial development anticipated along the A59 corridor.”

The amount of traffic in Harrogate is to be monitored as part of the £11.2 million Station Gateway scheme.

Speaking at a consultation event today on the latest designs for the scheme, Richard Binks, head of major traffic and infrastructure at North Yorkshire County Council, said it had asked consultants to count the volume of traffic.

Mr Binks said current forecasts were based on pre-covid surveys and it was likely traffic had reduced since then.

North Yorkshire County Council said last month the scheme would extend the average journey time around town by 73 seconds at peak times.

Mr Binks said this had now been amended to 50 seconds because plans to reduce two approaches to the Odeon cinema to single lanes had been abandoned.

He said he suspected the traffic count would further negate the argument that the scheme will slow down traffic, even though it will reduce part of Station Parade to one lane.

Mr Binks said it was a common misconception that reducing the number of lanes around town caused congestion. He added that having more efficient junctions, with upgraded smart traffic lights on Station Parade, would improve traffic flow.

He said:

“We are working towards submitting a full business case in the new year so we have about six months to finalise designs.”

Today’s consultation event was the first of three in which people can see the latest designs.

A document displaying the latest designs at today’s consultation event.

In another development today, Mr Binks said the taxi rank on Station Parade would now remain the same length, after the county council indicated last month it would be shortened.

Mr Binks was one of four officials at today’s consultation event answering questions on the latest designs, which were on display.

Further events will be held tomorrow and Saturday from 11am to 4pm at Victoria Shopping Centre.

Read more:

• £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway will ‘boost business and house prices’
• New Harrogate Station Gateway details revealed today

Mr Binks acknowledged there were concerns but he said the overwhelming sentiment today was positive and he detected a “softening” of attitudes towards the scheme, which would reduce part of Station Parade to single lane and part pedestrianise James Street.

Station Parade

Business groups have expressed concern about the impact on trade but Mr Binks said the regeneration of the town centre would make it more attractive and encourage shoppers, as well as making it better for cyclists and pedestrians.

He added the loss of a small number of parking spaces would not have a significant impact because there was “an abundance of car parking in Harrogate”.

Mr Binks also said the scheme remained affordable despite the increase in cost of raw materials over the last year.

You can take part in the consultation online here.

What is the Station Gateway?

The project is one of three in North Yorkshire, and 39 nationally, being funded by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund to promote active travel.

North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority all support the gateway.

Work is due to start in late spring next year.