Coneythorpe pub owner criticises lengthy roadworks as pub set to close

The owner of a Coneythorpe pub has criticised a set of month long roadworks as the “final kick we didn’t need”.

The Tiger Inn will close for five weeks in the new year while utility company Power On installs power cables for a new development park comprising industrial and commercial units in the area.

The scheme is expected to last six months and involve five weeks of road closures, starting on January 9, in Flaxby and Coneythorpe.

It is the latest disruption to hit the pub, which has already struggled through covid and a fire in November 2020.

Barbara Gill, who owns the Tiger Inn, said the pub was already dealing with the cost of living crisis – which has seen its energy bills increase to more than £4,000.

She said:

“These road works are the final kick we didn’t need.”

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Ms. Gill told The Stray Ferret that pubs have had to learn how to cope with these national crises such as the pandemic and the now cost-of-living crisis.

She said:

“They’ve had to adapt rapidly.”

Ms Gill added that staff at The Tiger inn will receive full pay to support them while the pub is closed.

However, businesses in the area including the Tiger Inn have not been compensated for the road works.

‘Extensive consultation’

Power On said in a statement it had conducted “extensive consultation” to minimise disruption.

Work will start on York Road in Flaxby and continue onto Shortsill Lane and Moor Lane. It will take place from January 9 to 28 before recommencing on February 22 until March 14.

The company said in a statement that it was “committed to delivering essential works whilst ensuring minimal disruption to local residence and the community”. It added:

“We have been able to avoid further closures by allowing traffic to flow subject to reduced weight limits.  Alternative transport for schools will be provided by North Yorkshire County Council.

“We have been working with the local parish council who have assisted in coordinating the works.  Road closure signs will include alternate routes to any local businesses affected with advanced warning signs posted in late December.

“The works are to be completed during the winter months, to minimise impact.  At the request of the Tiger Inn and the parish council, it was agreed that work will be suspended during potentially busier periods such as Valentine’s, Mother’s Day, and Easter weekend.”

Ms. Gill is hopeful the pub will be able to get back on its feet with the support of their loyal customers around Mother’s Day.

She added:

“We need people to support us when we reopen.”

The Tiger Inn is planning to reopen on February 10.

More misery for motorists on Ripon Road in Killinghall today

Motorists are set for another day of delays on the A61 Ripon Road in Killinghall today, with long queues already forming.

Traffic in both directions was horrendous yesterday due to traffic lights caused by workers digging up the grass verge near Ripley.

After some respite later in the day, another set of roadworks appeared in the middle of Killinghall at 8.30pm as workers began digging up the road despite the late hour.

Killinghall roadworks at night

Late night roadworks in the middle of the village.

Four-way lights were installed at the junction of Ripon Road and Otley Road.

This morning, queues are again in place, with Yorkshire Water due to carry out work on Ripon Road all week traffic lights back.

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Lane closures and speed restrictions coming to A1 in Harrogate district

Lane closures and a 50mph speed limit are being introduced to a stretch of the A1 that passes through the Harrogate district.

National Highways is to carry out patching repairs on the southbound carriageway between junction 49 (Dishforth) and junction 51 (Leeming Bar) from Tuesday next week until mid-December.

According to a press release today by National Highways, during full closures a local signed diversion will be in place using the A6055 which runs parallel to the A1.

Access to properties and businesses will be maintained at all times. Those affected will be contacted directly.

National Highways project manager Ted Chamberlain said:

“This work will ensure that we continue to provide our customers with a safe, smooth carriageway. We’ll be working overnight using a combination of full closures and lane closures. This will minimise disruption to the peak traffic flows during the day.

“When lane closures are in place there will be a 50mph speed restriction to protect road users and our workers. We advise drivers to anticipate delays and allow extra time for their journeys.”

National Highways is the government-owned company responsible for maintaining England’s motorways and major A roads.

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Morning ‘traffic chaos’ on A61 between Ripon and Harrogate

Motorists have endured a morning of misery between Ripon and Harrogate this morning due to lengthy delays on the A61.

Roadworks at Bishop Monkton combined with a broken down bus in Killinghall caused a double delay for people using the main route.

Linda Birnie called the Stray Ferret to say it took her an hour and 10 minutes to get from her home in Ripon to Ripley. She said:

“The traffic this morning was absolutely appalling. I would have gone through Knaresborough if I’d known.”

Ms Birnie set off at 8am and shortly afterwards hit a two-mile queue caused by lights near the garden centre at Bishop Monkton.

According to North Yorkshire County Council’s live roadworks map, there are two-way signals there until Friday due to work being carried out by Yorkshire Water.

It always says there are separate roadworks at Wormald Green until Wednesday this week.

Ms Birnie said after getting through that queue, there was a brief period of respite before she encountered another large tailback before the Ripley roundabout due to a broken down bus in Killinghall.

She had travelled to Harrogate because she is a member of the Harrogate Borough Council-owned leisure company Brimhams Active and her yoga class had been moved because of ongoing work caused by ground stability issues at Ripon’s new leisure centre.

Other motorists got in touch to inform us of lengthy delays on the same route this morning.

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Roadworks bring traffic ‘chaos’ to Harrogate district villages

Roadworks on the A658 Harrogate Road have diverted a large volume of traffic through two Harrogate district villages.

Five days of roadworks began today between Gravelly Hill Lane and Hall Green Lane on the busy Harrogate Road.

It is causing delays for vehicles travelling in both directions. But it has also brought problems to locals because traffic is being diverted along Crag Lane, The Sleights and Gravelly Hill Lane through North Rigton and Huby while work takes place.

Villagers have expressed concerns about the speed and volume of traffic passing through the villages as well as the effectiveness of the diversion signs.

One makeshift cardboard sign (see below) appeared in Huby this morning to help drivers navigate the diversion.

Huby traffic diversion sign

Work is being carried out to resurface the Harrogate Road.

A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire County Council said it wasn’t aware of any issues. She said:

“Works on the A658 are taking place from October 31 to November 4. The closure runs from 9.30am to 3.30pm daily. A signed diversion is in place.”

 

 

Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district update

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 tomorrow.

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.

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.

In Ripon, roadworks are due to be active on Heckler Lane and New Road today and tomorrow.

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.

Trains and buses

Rail operator Northern is not reporting any problems on the line passing through Harrogate and Knaresborough this morning but the live departure and arrival board for Harrogate shows the 7.37am LNER service to London is cancelled.

The Harrogate Bus Company is reporting cancellations on the 36 bus, the 9am and 10.55am Harrogate to Leeds services are cancelled, as are the Leeds to Harrogate 7.40am, 9.55am, 11.55am services and the Starbeck to Leeds 6.23am bus.

You can get updates here.

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Roadworks lead to long queues on A59 near Knaresborough

Queues of more than an hour have been reported as motorists try to navigate roadworks on the edge of Knaresborough.

Four-way traffic lights are in place to allow Yorkshire Water to carry out work on the A59 near the junction with the A658.

However, they have been leading to long tailbacks, especially at peak times. Drivers have reported queues all the way back to the junction of the A1M and beyond.

Harrogate Bus Company said its 21 service between Knaresborough and Boroughbridge has also been caught up in the delays.

https://twitter.com/harrogatebus/status/1584480023918309381

Works in the area began at the start of October, but recently moved to the roundabout.

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said the queues had eased today, adding:

“Our teams are on site laying a new water main for a new housing development.

“To allow the work to be completed safely, two-way temporary traffic lights will be in place this week.

“These will be manually controlled from 7am to 7pm to minimise disruption as much as possible during busier periods of the day.”

The works in the area are scheduled to continue until November 11.

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Gasworks on Cold Bath Road rescheduled until Monday

Major gasworks which were due to start on Harrogate’s Cold Bath Road have been rescheduled until Monday.

Northern Gas Networks is due to carry out maintenance work on the road which is set to last for five weeks.

It will see temporary traffic lights put in place in the area, which is likely to cause delays for motorists.

The work was scheduled to start on Thursday last week.

However, a spokesperson for North Yorkshire County Council confirmed that the roadworks have been rescheduled until Monday, October 17.

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The move comes as Northern Gas Networks has been carrying out major maintenance work on main routes through Harrogate, including Ripon Road and Kings Road.

Russ Kaye, business operations lead for the company, said previously:

“We would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during these essential works. However, it is vital we complete them in order to continue to maintain a safe and reliable gas supply to the residents of Harrogate.

“We want to assure residents and road users that we will be working hard to complete this essential scheme as safely and as quickly as possible.”

Traffic and Travel: Harrogate district updates

Roads

Temporary traffic lights are due to arrive today on Harrogate’s busy Cold Bath Road for five weeks as Northern Gas Networks carries out maintenance work, according to North Yorkshire County Council’s live roadworks map. This is likely to cause considerable delays.

Roadworks are also taking place on nearby Victoria Road, where a diversion is in place.

Elsewhere in Harrogate, long-term work on Crescent Road means motorists are unable to turn left at the Parliament Street junction. Traffic coming the opposite way on Ripon Road is unable to turn right.

Montpellier Road remains closed until October 12 as Northern Gas Networks carries out maintenance work.

Roadworks are also due from 9am to 7pm today on Leadhill Crescent.

Drivers should expect the usual Friday morning rush hour delays on key routes, such as Wetherby Road, Knaresborough Road and Skipton Road but it is the first Walk to School day this term, which may reduce congestion slightly.

At Blossomgate in Ripon, work is due to take place to replace and reset the kerb and improve the road.

Further afield, anyone travelling eastbound on the M62 this morning should be aware of early morning problems.

2 lanes (of 3) remain closed on the #M62 eastbound in #WestYorkshire between J29 (for the #M1) and J30 (#Rothwell) whilst recovery is ongoing for a lorry involved in a collision.

There's just over 2 miles of congestion on approach so allow extra journey time this morning. pic.twitter.com/RKU3rvh5XP

— National Highways: Yorkshire (@HighwaysYORKS) October 7, 2022

 

Trains and buses

No rail strikes today, but another day of strikes is expected tomorrow.

Northern, which operates services through Harrogate and Knaresborough, has urged passengers not to travel on strike days.

As for today, Northern services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.

But rail passengers on Harrogate’s LNER services have been warned to expect disruption until the end of the weekend..

Major engineering works in the Newcastle area by Network Rail will affect many services on the LNER route during this period.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is not reporting any problems this morning.

You can check service updates here.

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Long-term delays expected at key junction on way to Leeds Bradford Airport

Delays are expected until Spring next year on a key junction between Harrogate and Leeds Bradford Airport while roadworks take place on the A660 and the A658.

The Dyneley Arms junction, at the top of Pool Bank, connects Pool-in-Wharfedale to north Leeds, as well as to Bradford, Otley and the airport.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority is spending £2.4m on the scheme, which involves widening roads and adding crossings and turning lanes.

The council said the works will improve journey times between Leeds and Harrogate. The main works will begin on September 12.

Cllr Helen Hayden, Labour councillor on Leeds City Council said:

“This junction was ranked one of the top congested junctions in the Leeds district. I’m pleased to see after a lot of efforts to deliver the scheme, we’re finally able to make a start to improve capacity at the junction.

“The scheme will also provide benefits to improve journey times between Leeds and Harrogate, and the intervening villages when it completes in spring next year. Like many schemes in construction across Leeds, we’re advising motorists to allow more time for journeys and to plan ahead where possible. We apologise in advance of any inconvenience caused.”

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