road works Archives - The Stray Ferret

‘Disappointment’ as traffic calming measures halted in Pannal AshOpening of new road at A59 Kex Gill delayedLeeds Road roadworks in Harrogate to continue for a weekKnaresborough Halfpenny Lane closure extended

Road works on a busy Knaresborough road have been extended.

Northern Gas Networks is carrying out exploratory work to divert underground infrastructure at the railway bridge on Halfpenny Lane.

Roadworks started on March 25 and were due to end yesterday (April 12) but the work has been delayed.

The live incident map says work is now due to end on May 17, although Northern Gas Networks has not given a definitive end date.

The closure extending from the bridge to the roundabout next to Old Penny Gate, will remain closed until additional works are complete and a signed diversion is in place.

Dominic Nevison, site manager at Northern Gas Networks said:

“We are working with other utilities to carefully plan this work to minimise the impact on road users and members of the public. The road diversion will remain in place while we carry out our initial assessment and subsequent work.”

“We apologise for inconvenience caused and would like to reassure everyone that we will be working hard to complete the work so that we can reopen the road as soon as possible.”

Northern Gas Networks added there was no impact on gas supplies to homes and businesses in the area.

Roadworks due as Northern Powergrid begins £5.5m scheme in Harrogate

Northern Powergrid will begin a £5.5m scheme to make the electricity supply in the Harrogate area more reliable next week.

The company, which manages the electricity network for 3.9 million people, has said the upgrade will “improve the resilience and reliability of the vital local electricity network”.

But it will cause disruption to motorists on some of Harrogate’s busiest roads, including Ripon Road, Clarence Drive and Jenny Field Drive, where the work will start.

Upgraded cabling will be installed in 22 areas of Harrogate. Work will begin on Monday, March 18 and is due to end in September.

It will require having open excavated trenches in the roads. The trenches will be protected by barriers and some locations will have two-way traffic lights.

Northern Powergrid revealed the plans at a drop-in session on Tuesday night at Harrogate’s Crown Hotel, which businesses were invited to attend.

The Stray Ferret, which attended the meeting, was told Northern Powergrid and North Yorkshire Council have been in talks about the work for over a year in consultation with local councillors, Harrogate Business Improvement District and Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce.

Northern Powergrid operates to five-year plans and is currently working to its 2023-2028 plan, which includes upgrading its network. Once its plans are approved by a regulator, the company can receive funding from a fund, which is sourced from a percentage of bill payers’ money.

A similar scheme to upgrade York’s network, costing £1.5m, is currently underway.

Northern Powergrid five million pound investment route

A spokesperson for Northern Powergrid told the Stray Ferret that the upgrades were essential. They said:

“These upgrades are what Harrogate needs to improve reliability, The works are being done to future proof the town. We Invest ahead of need, we don’t wait until there is no power we are doing it before it is needed.”

Northern Powergrid said the increasing number of electric vehicles, housing and hospitality venues made it essential to act now.

It added that businesses and houses now required a range of electric outlets and an increasing number of venues including hotels and pubs were changing from gas to electric to meet net zero goals, putting more demand on the power supply.

Steve Crawford, project manager said:

“With the decarbonisation agenda there is a real uptake in electric power. All of this technology requires electric power reinforcing to meet this increased need.

“This work will create capacity for new developments and low carbon technology connections to support the town’s economic growth. Now is the right time for Harrogate the upgrades are what the town needs right now.

“It allows future services to progress but we can’t tell how long these reinforcements will last. We wouldn’t spend more than the area needs but we can’t afford to wait until it is broken.”

When and Where

Residents will receive letters up to two weeks in advance of work beginning, the company said. The project will start next week on Jenny Field Drive and is due to end at Majestic Court in September.

Full list of Northern Powergrid times and dates for the investment works

The impact

Work is expected to take place from 8am-5pm but Northern Powergrid have purposely avoided the Crescent Road, Ripon Road and King’s Road junction to reduce disruption.

It said access for residents, businesses and emergency vehicles will be maintained disruption would be minimised by, for example, avoiding work near Harrogate Ladies’ College during term time. Public transport will continue.

The last major Northern Powergrid work in the area took place almost eight years ago near David Lloyd, where the company’s substation is located. It said the David Lloyd to Penny Pot Lane section will take the longest time to upgrade due to there being a single circuit along the route.

Mr Crawford said:

“People won’t notice a difference, we hope the upgrades will be seamless, which for us is a good thing if people cannot tell. People don’t notice power until it has gone so we are working behind the scenes and there should be no interruptions to power.”

Sharon Incerti, project manager said;

“No one is expected to be off supply and there are no planned outages for the work to go ahead. There can always be faults but they are not expected. This is a really positive scheme for Harrogate.

“It will be some short term disruption to meet Harrogate’s wider and ever-changing needs.”

To keep up to date check www.onenetwork.com and contact generalenquiries@northernpowergrid.com for any further information.

Seven weeks of roadworks set to begin in Harrogate town centre

Roadworks are to begin next week on some of Harrogate town centre’s busiest routes.

The work, which is due to start on Monday and last for seven weeks, will see traffic lights on key routes including Parliament Street, Ripon Road, King’s Road and Cold Bath Road.

The disruption will enable gas distributor Northern Gas Networks to replace metal pipes with plastic pipes.

Cold Bath Road could be the worst affected route, with “multiple lights” operating for five weeks.

It is the continuation of road works that were “paused” a year ago following delays.

Northern Gas Networks said last week it would be digging up Skipton Road in a separate scheme over half-term.

Here’s what the company said is involved with the latest work starting next week.

Crescent Road lane closure and traffic lights

A lane closure will be introduced on Crescent Road and Ripon Road along with four-way lights at the junction of Crescent Road, Parliament Street, Ripon Road and Kings Road for two weeks. The existing lights will be bagged, and temporary traffic lights will be in operation from 7am to 7pm.

Traffic on Parliament Street is likely to be affected.

Montpellier Road (roundabout) & Montpellier Hill Lane closure

A lane closure will be implemented on Montpellier Road (roundabout) and Montpellier Hill Lane for two weeks.

Cold Bath Road traffic lights and parking suspensions

Multiple two and three-way lights will be introduced on Cold Bath Road for five weeks starting from Monday.

Multiple traffic lights will be on Cold Bath Road.

Wellington Square Road closure

A road closure will be implemented on Wellington Square for two weeks.

Northern Gas Networks said traffic lights will be manned seven days a week between 7am and 7pm “to ensure a smooth flow of traffic”.

Scott Kitchingman, business operations lead for Northern Gas Networks, said the work was vital “to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to the residents of Harrogate” and apologised for any inconvenienced.

He added:

“We completed phase one of this project in autumn 2022. It was a complex scheme during which we faced multiple engineering challenges because of the depth of the gas main.

“This caused a delay to our timescales and meant we were unable to complete the following phase within a reasonable timeframe without impacting customers and businesses during the busy Christmas period.

“Collaborating closely with North Yorkshire County Council, we’ve worked hard to review the remaining work and plan this final phase in a way that minimises impact to residents and local businesses as much as possible.”

New roadworks revealed for Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon

Details of upcoming roadworks for Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon have been revealed.

Cllr Paul Haslam, a Conservative who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge on North Yorkshire Council, posted details of scheduled resurfacing schemes on his Facebook page.

The information is set out below with details of where and when each scheme will take place and the accompanying plan to manage traffic.

North Park Road, Harrogate

Monday, August 21 to Friday, September 1 (7pm to midnight)

21st, 22nd, 24th, 25th 29th – traffic management – combination of two-way lights and road closure during working hours

23rd, 30th, 31st and 1st Sep – traffic management – road closure during working hours. Access for residents will be maintained