The introduction of parking charges at Weeton Station is causing concern about the impact on nearby roads.
Weeton is one of 10 stations where Northern Railway announced new parking charges this week.
Motorists now have to pay 50p for up to two hours or £2 per day between 8am and 4pm to park at the station.
This is prompting some drivers to park on streets near the station to avoid the charge.
David Chalmers, the chairman of Weeton Parish Council, said:
“A couple of people have highlighted to the parish council concerns over the likely impact the recent introduction of charges to park at Weeton station will have on the roads in the immediate area.
“Disappointingly Northern Rail did not notify us of the pending changes although given the lack of constructive engagement on other matters such as penalty fares I am unsurprised.”
A Northern spokesperson said:
“We consulted North Yorkshire County Council and rail officers in advance of charges going in and we also advised customers about the changes in advance by using posters at the station, our website and on the National Rail website.
“We’re introducing charges at these locations to ensure that our car parking facilities remain available for rail users only, as well as to align these stations with our other locations that saw the introduction of charges in 2022.”
The spokesperson also said the increase was introduced by the government, not Northern.
Mr Chalmers also said the extra traffic parked on streets could make it difficult for emergency services vehicles to get around the village, and faded yellow lines on the road further exacerbated problems.
He said:
“I am aware that a couple of weeks ago there were access issues for an oil tanker, a vehicle which is of similar size to a fire engine.
“This has been raised to North Yorkshire Council on multiple occasions without any meaningful feedback on whether they plan to have the lines repainted.”
Melisa Burnham, the council’s highways area manager, said:
“The local highways team are aware of the issue and there is an order in place to refresh the yellow lining 55 metres either side of the carriageway.
“We will be liaising with the parish council and local councillors regarding the works and will review all communications about this issue.”
Weeton is situated on the line between Harrogate and Leeds.
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Council hoping to build £20 million Killinghall bypass
North Yorkshire Council has said it wants to build a £20 million bypass in Killinghall to alleviate congestion.
The authority published a report this week that offers updates into three transport projects in Harrogate, including a bypass in Killinghall, which has been mooted for years but is yet to move forward to a firm proposal.
An unpopular relief road scheme near Nidd Gorge was scrapped by North Yorkshire County Council in 2019 following widespread public opposition.
But the problem of congestion has not gone away and the council’s Harrogate Congestion Study in 2019 suggested a village bypass in Killinghall still had a level of support among residents.
At the time, the council’s Conservative-run executive said that it would consider developing the project further to see if it might be able to win government funding so it could be built.
Since then, officials working on the bypass have looked at a number of possible routes to reducing the impact of traffic in Killinghall.
The latest report does not offer details on possible routes, but the county council previously said the route which offered the best value for money would be one that bypasses Killinghall to the east and connects the B6161 south of the village to the A61 above it.
Several new housing developments have been built in or near Killinghall in recent years and traffic going between Harrogate and Ripon has to pass through the village.
There have also been safety concerns around the B6161/A61 junction that the council thinks the bypass could help improve.
Read more:
- Safety audit rules out traffic lights at notorious Killinghall junction
- Harrogate’s Pannal Ash Road to get £300,000 resurfacing
In the report, the council argues that due to “the more rural nature” of Killinghall there are fewer opportunities to create active travel schemes that promote walking or cycling.
The report recommends that the public is asked their opinion on the bypass and that a route is eventually recommended.
Cllr Keane Duncan, executive member for highways and transport and Conservative mayoral candidate, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he believes a Killinghall bypass is “absolutely critical” to tackling congestion and improving road safety in the village.
Cllr Duncan said:
“We still need to confirm the best route, but the principle of delivering new road infrastructure here is absolutely right.
“It is the only real solution to the serious safety issues raised in the recent audit of the B6161/A61 junction in the heart of the village.
“I am fully committed to delivering this long-awaited bypass and the fair deal the people of Killinghall so desperately deserve.
“Devolution gives fresh hope of finally delivering this project and if elected as North Yorkshire’s first mayor I will seek to secure the £20m needed.”
No Harrogate district roads included in county surface dressing programme
The new North Yorkshire Council is beginning its annual surface dressing programme — but it doesn’t include any roads in the Harrogate district.
Hundreds of miles of roads across England’s largest county are to be treated this spring and summer.
The work makes roads more skid-resistant and waterproof. It also prevents potholes, and can extend the life of a road by up to 10 years.
Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative executive member for highways and transport, said £8 million of surface dressing would be carried out this year — £2.6 million more than last year.
But Harrogate is the only district in North Yorkshire not to be included in this year’s programme.
Work is due to begin mid-April in the Hambleton, Selby and Scarborough districts.
It is due to carry on in Ryedale and Richmondshire in May and finish in the Craven district in early June.
Cllr Duncan said:
“Careful prioritisation of works, additional investment and close cooperation with our contractors means we will be delivering an extra £2.6 million worth of surface dressing schemes this year, the equivalent of an extra 60 miles.”
In this year’s Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt awarded North Yorkshire £6.5 million from a £700 million fund to tackle potholes.
Details of North Yorkshire roadworks are available here.
Read more:
- Three months of roadworks on A61 from Harrogate to Ripon set to begin
- Harrogate road to be closed until November
Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district update
Here is this morning’s update on traffic and travel across the Harrogate district.
Spotted anything else? Email us the details and we’ll add it below to help others get around this morning.
Harrogate
The long-term gas works on Crescent Road In Harrogate town centre are due to be paused this week.
Motorists are still unable to turn left at the Parliament Street junction and traffic coming the opposite way on Ripon Road is unable to turn right but by next week the restrictions should have ended.
Roadworks near the Harrogate Town ground on Wetherby Road in Harrogate are due to end today.
According to North Yorkshire County Council’s roadworks map, two sets of traffic lights will be active on Skipton Road, between the Empress roundabout and King’s Road.
The top of Woodfield Road is also closed to traffic leaving Skipton Road, though open to vehicles leaving Woodfield onto Skipton Road. Those works are scheduled to end today.
Kingsley Drive remains closed between Birstwith Road and Rydal Road until November 6. There are also temporary traffic lights on Kingsley Road while work continues to create an access road to the new housing development.
Knaresborough
Traffic lights on the A59 York Road near the junction with the A658 in Knaresborough are due to remain in place until November 11.
Yorkshire Water has installed four-way traffic lights as it lays a new water main for a housing development.
Kirkgate Road in central Knaresborough is closed today for works to the kerbs.
Several sets of two-way traffic lights are in place along the A6055 Boroughbridge Road between Knaresborough and Minskip.
Branton Lane in Great Ouseburn is closed until next Friday while Yorkshire Water lays a new main.
Ripon and Nidderdale
In Ripon, roadworks are due to conclude on Heckler Lane and New Road today.
Stumps Lane in Darley is closed for another week for a sewer to be connected.
Work to reconstruct the landslip-hit B6265 at Red Brae Bank, Bewerley, near Pateley Bridge, is ongoing.
The road is closed and a diversion is in place via Pateley Bridge, the B6451 Dacre, Menwith Hill Road, Duck Street and Greenhow Hill village. Temporary traffic lights will be in place during the remainder of the work.
Fell Beck Bridge remains closed for works until November 6, with a diversion in place via Burnt Yates and Summerbridge.
Trains and buses
Rail operator Northern is not reporting any significant problems on the line passing through Harrogate and Knaresborough this morning but the live departure and arrival board for Harrogate shows the 7.09am Northern service to York is currently running seven minutes late.
The Harrogate Bus Company is not currently reporting any cancellations or significant delays on its services. You can get updates here.
An early warning for you: there are some changes to bus timetables on the horizon, taking effect from Sunday, November 6. Most of these are minor, but in a more significant change, the 36 will no longer offer ‘neighbourhood journeys’ from Bilton and Jennyfield to Leeds.
The bus company said this is down to low passenger numbers. Passengers can still get tickets through to Leeds if they start their journeys on the 2A, 2B or 3.
Check the full details on the Harrogate Bus Company website.
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