Full steam ahead on Harrogate’s £7.9 million Station Gateway project

Detailed designs for Harrogate’s controversial £7.9 million Station Gateway project are to be drawn up, it was agreed today.

Councillors voted to press ahead with the next stage of the scheme, which could see the pedestrianisation of James Street and Station Parade reduced to one lane of traffic,

The project, which aims to create a more attractive entrance to the town with greater priority for pedestrians and cyclists. is part of the government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

There are similar projects being run in Selby and Skipton but transport officials said Harrogate has proved the most contentious due to resistance from some businesses are worried about the impact on trade.

A recent public consultation, however, revealed public support for a town centre less dominated by cars.

A total of 45% of 1,101 respondents were in favour of the full pedestrianisation of James Street; 32% said no changes should be made and 17% backed a partial pedestrianisation.

For Station Parade, 49% favoured an option to reduce traffic to one lane, while 27% said it should be retained as two lanes and 24% said neither option was workable.

Speaking at today’s North Yorkshire County Council meeting, councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:

“We have been lobbied quite strongly by the business community in Harrogate, of whom one or two members seem to think the gateway scheme is intended to make life more difficult for them. Those comments could not be further from the truth.

“The whole purpose behind the gateway scheme is to make all three of these town centres more attractive to visitors, especially those who want to come and spend money in our shops, restaurants and pubs.”

More detailed designs will now be completed before a business case is drawn up and a final decision is made.

A county council report said the impact on parking and traffic would be kept to a minimum, with just 45 out of 915 parking spaces lost.

The report also said reducing Station Parade to one lane would increase the average car journey time by 53 seconds, or by 1 minute 14 seconds with James Street fully pedestrianised.

Some businesses fear the removal of parking spaces and traffic lanes will mean busier roads and fewer shoppers.

Councillor Mackenzie added:

“In the past I have had concerns about the effect of one lane on Station Parade… but frankly, when I see the benefits that a one lane scheme can deliver, I believe that small additional extra time is well worth it.”

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Conservative councillor Michael Harrison, who represents the Lower Nidderdale and Bishop Monkton division, told today’s meeting it was important for the impact on traffic to be a key consideration when a final decision is made.

“This is not just about trying to persuade people to get out of the car – we have got to recognise that this area is a through-route as well.

“If there is a negative impact on travel times then we have got to acknowledge that, quantify it and make sure we have the road system working as efficiently as possible around the scheme.

“That is the right way forward and clearly we are going to do that.”

Further public consultation will now take place in autumn following the development of detailed designs and a business case.

If approved, construction could begin in summer 2022 with completion by March 2023.

Straight Talk: It’s time for good old fashioned Yorkshire common sense

This opinion column is written by Marilyn Stowe. Marilyn built the largest family law firm in the UK, which she ran from Harrogate. She sold her firm in 2017 to private equity left the law and is now a writer and speaker.

Do you remember ‘The Good Old Days’ of your childhood?  I grimace when I recall those all weather days when our mum walked two of us to our primary school, walked home again, the third along for the ride in his push chair. Then they would return to collect us and walk us home.

We weren’t near a bus route. When mum took us shopping, all three aged under 6, we walked to the bus stop, jumping with excitement as the bus arrived, demanding to sit upstairs regardless of the baby and the push chair. It was the same going home, waiting for the bus, my mum managing us, a baby and a shopping bag, then walking again. Come rain or shine, fog or snow, that was the reality of the ‘Good Old Days.’ I remember my mum bursting into tears when my dad surprised her with a little car in the 1970s and the strain was relieved.

So why the desire of some, to inflict this backward step on so many others? The three local authorities handling the controversial Harrogate Station Gateway scheme have highly ambitious and I doubt achievable  ‘green’ plans;- a 2000% increase in cycling trips, (yes, you read that correctly) 78% increase in walking trips and 39% increase in bus trips. They ominously intend  ‘to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to enable people to make walking, cycling or public transport their first choice for journeys.’ And to deliver their aim, Harrogate now has just shy of £8m of government funds to spend, with more cycle lanes, removal of trees and at least 45 parking spaces and parking permits, probably far higher with implementation of road closures and the imposition of controversial one way systems and rerouting.

Beech Grove is ‘experimentally closed’ at the back of the Stray. In Cold Bath Road, traffic now backs up alongside the parked cars, mothers, children and buses. It is acknowledged that there will be far more traffic delays across Central Harrogate. More traffic congestion has all the potential for increase in road traffic accidents and hardly beneficial for clean air.

Not everyone though is in favour of this draconian approach and that looks like an understatement. Only 1100 of the 75,000 Harrogate residents responded to an online survey, of which 40+ % backed the scheme in part. Hardly a ringing endorsement by a large majority. With thousands of livelihoods on the line post pandemic, fearful business owners and residents, are vocally fighting back, whilst also working hard to attract new business nationally to Harrogate.

So given the risk at stake, why not compromise? It is still possible to effect a fair balance of all perceived needs and perceived harms, rather than a bitterly opposed scheme at the end of a terrible trading year. Everyone has a legal right to exercise their own choice of transport in our still democratic society not just a few. You may enjoy a bike ride or a bus journey. Others prefer the comfort of their own cars. There should be consideration for all.

The fake grass scheme is an example of an ill thought out imposition on Harrogate, a complete waste of money. This is far worse. Disregarding the rights of the majority is not good governance as parts of the South of England are making clear with similar schemes quietly imposed in the last year.

There is all the potential for an £8m disaster with the very heart of Harrogate at stake, unless compromise and Yorkshire common sense prevails.

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Explainer: How the Harrogate Station Gateway survey paves the way for major change

The long-awaited results of a public survey have paved the way for the next stages of the £7.9m Gateway project – but how exactly did Harrogate vote?

North Yorkshire County Council has this week revealed the consultation results which will form the basis of the next stages of the project including the drawing up of detailed designs and a business plan.

But with controversial changes on the table including pedestrianisation and the removal of traffic lanes and car parking spaces – what proportion of residents are actually backing the plans?

Here are the numbers:

Out of 1,101 respondents to the survey held in February and March, 45% voted in favour of fully pedestrianising James Street, while 32% said no changes should be made and 17% backed a partial pedestrianisation.

The remaining 6% of respondents gave no preference for the street.

These results suggest a majority of residents (62%) support pedestrianisation of some sort – whether full or partial – in what marks a major step forward for the idea which has been mooted for years.

For Station Parade, 49% favoured an option to reduce traffic to one lane, while 27% said it should stay as two lanes and 24% said neither option was workable.

Residents were also asked if they felt positive, negative, neutral or didn’t have an opinion on other parts of the project. Here is how they voted:

– Cycle lanes for East Parade (58% positive, 29.3% negative, 12.2% neutral and 0.5% didn’t know)
– Improvements to public spaces at One Arch (70.9% positive, 13% negative, 14.3% neutral and 1.8% didn’t know)
– Improvements to public spaces at Station Square (59.5% positive, 31.2% negative, 8.9% neutral and 0.4% didn’t know)

What is the aim of the Gateway project?

The project is being backed by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund which aims to make it easier, safer and quicker for people to travel on foot, by bike or on public transport by improving connections in town and city centres.

In Harrogate, the aim is to give greater priority to these modes of transport with better connections to the train station, bus station and other key parts of the town.

It is also hoped these changes will result in a reduction in carbon emissions from fewer cars on the road, as well as boost to the economy with shoppers spending more time in the town centre.

There are, however, questions over what impact the removal of traffic lanes and car parking spaces will have on business and the roads.

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What are the concerns?

The worry from some residents and businesses is that the removal of parking spaces and traffic lanes will mean busier roads and fewer shoppers.

In a joint statement released this week, Harrogate BID, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Independent Harrogate said they were “disappointed that our collective voices have not been listened to” and that they felt what was being proposed would have a “hugely damaging effect” on trade.

They said: “Despite many feeling the outcome is already a done deal, we will continue our dialogue with local councillors and officers, as the final outcome will change the face of Harrogate town centre forever.”

On the flip side, transport officials at North Yorkshire County Council say case study evidence suggests that improvements to public spaces can boost footfall and trading by up to 40%.

They said in a report: “It is often assumed that more parking is the answer to struggling high streets.

“However across Europe, studies have linked the quality of public spaces to people’s perceptions of attractiveness of an area, contributing towards their quality of life and influencing where they shop.”

“Evaluations of pedestrian improvements in Coventry and Bristol show a 25% increase in footfall on Saturdays and predict £1.4million benefits respectively.”

What will the impact be?

The report published earlier this week also concluded that in a “worst case scenario” reducing Station Parade to one lane would increase average journey times by 53 seconds or 1 minute 14 seconds with James Street fully pedestrianised also.

It added the partial or full pedestrianisation of James Street would result in the loss of 45 out of 915 on-street pay and display spaces currently in operation across the town centre.

Currently, at peak occupancy, it is estimated there are 120 on-street spaces unused.

A separate report published by consultants WSP concluded in another “worst case scenario” estimate that the project could result in increased carbon emissions from diverted vehicles having to make longer journeys.

It added, however, that the “transformational change” from the scheme has the potential to “unlock further behavioural change” with more motorists choosing to travel by foot or bike instead of car.

The magnitude of the possible increase in emissions – around 1,400 tons of CO2 over 60 years – was also said to be “unlikely to be considered significant in the context of regional and national emissions targets”.

What do the politicians say?

Harrogate Borough Council has worked closely with the county council on the Gateway project. The authority’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, councillor Phil Ireland, said earlier this week that the survey results were a positive step forward and set Harrogate on path for a “21st century travel network”.

He said: “It’s positive to see that the proposals for sustainable alternatives to the car, and an improved and exciting public realm, have significant support from residents, businesses and visitors alike.

“The benefit of carrying out a consultation early on in the process is that we have everybody’s feedback and ideas to feed into the next phase of detailed design work.

Meanwhile, councillor Don Mackenzie, the county council’s executive member for access and transport, said the next steps of the project would take into account the feedback which had been received.

He said: “We are grateful to everyone across each of the towns who took the time to share their views in the consultation. We have listened.

“The next steps we are considering take into account the feedback we have received. They take account of concerns raised while providing significant benefits to facilitate and encourage people to cycle and walk.

“There will, of course, be further consultation on detailed proposals before final decisions are taken.”

What’s next?

Under the next stages of the project, county councillors will be asked to progress the plans at an executive meeting on Tuesday (25 May). Further public consultation will then take place in autumn following the development of detailed designs and a business case.

Subject to a final approval, the aim is for construction to begin by summer 2022 with completion in 2023.

Station Gateway scheme could increase greenhouse gas emissions

A report by consultants on the proposed £7.9 million Station Gateway project in Harrogate has found it could potentially increase greenhouse gas emissions.

The gateway project aims to improve town centre accessibility, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists, and help to achieve a net-zero carbon goal.

But net carbon emissions could increase because the reduced traffic flow in the area affected by the scheme would force some drivers to take longer alternative routes.

North Yorkshire County Council said this would represent a “worst-case” scenario, and it would refine the scheme to ensure it is environmentally friendly.

The report also highlighted the loss of up to 15 trees. They would be replaced by new trees within the scheme area at a ratio of at least one replacement for each tree lost.

In addition, there would be a net loss of parking spaces in Harrogate town centre. The scheme would, however, maintain or increase the number of disabled parking bays in the centre.

Under all versions of the scheme examined, the bandstand at the north end of Station Square would be removed, while the Jubilee memorial on the south side would remain in place. Other improvements include a proposed water fountain and ornamental planters.

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Environmental impact

The report is a preliminary study prepared by WSP, a consultancy firm.

It aims to provide information to North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council, which are developing the Station Gateway scheme, about the potential environmental impacts.

Council planners will use this information to determine whether a formal environmental impact assessment is needed.

The report assesses three different options:

The report forecasts that under the “do maximum” scenario improvements to pedestrian, cycling and public transport infrastructure will encourage a shift away from car use, with a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 1,113 tons over 60 years.

However, at the same time reductions in traffic capacity will force vehicles to take longer alternatives, which is predicted to lead to an increase in carbon emissions of 2,576 tons of CO2 over 60 years.

This suggests that the net impact of the scheme will therefore be an increase in emissions of CO2 of roughly 1,400 tons over 60 years. To put this into context, the average UK citizen produces roughly five tons of CO2 per year.

The report notes that:

“…the transformational change from the scheme has the potential to unlock further behavioural change and growth than modelled, in which case emissions reductions may be larger.”

There is no forecast of the change in carbon emissions under the “do something” or “do minimum” scenarios.

More detailed proposals to come

Karl Battersby, corporate director of business and environmental services at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“At this early stage of development, it is prudent to consider a worst case scenario. It is that modelling that informs the screening request. This worst case shows that at this stage there is potential for a slight adverse carbon emissions impact.

“However, further detailed design will focus on achieving a net-zero position and we will present a more refined carbon assessment when detailed proposals are recommended for implementation.”

Businesses warn £7.9m Station Gateway project could be “hugely damaging”

Harrogate business organisations have said the £7.9 million Station Gateway project could have a “hugely damaging” impact on the town centre.

The project, which is being led by North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, could see James Street pedestrianised and reduce Station Parade to single lane traffic.

The county council is now set to progress both the James Street and Station Parade proposals to design stage with further consultation to follow.

But Harrogate Business Improvement District, Independent Harrogate and Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce issued a joint statement this afternoon criticising the scheme.

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Sara Ferguson, the Harrogate BID chair, David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and William Woods and Robert Ogden, Independent Harrogate co-founders, said:

“All three organisations, which between us represent hundreds of town centre businesses, are disappointed that our collective voices have not been listened to.

“In responding to the consultation, we put forward a number of alternative suggestions that we believe will help Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council achieve their objectives, give cyclists dedicated space away from the main A61 Station Parade, assist pedestrians by making changes to the top end of James Street, give priority to buses arriving and leaving the bus station, and protect the interests of town centre retailers.

“We are also strongly of the view the main gateway into the town centre from the bus and railway stations is Cambridge Street, and it is here that Harrogate Borough Council should be fully focussing its attention.

“Two months ago, Cllr Mackenzie shared our concerns about reducing Station Parade to one lane, therefore we are pleased to note more design work and further consultation is to be undertaken on this important issue.

“Cllr Ireland says ‘proposals for sustainable alternatives to the car’ have significant support from residents, businesses and visitors alike, yet this is not what we are hearing from the business community, in particular the retailers, many of whom fear what is being proposed will have a hugely damaging effect on their livelihoods, and the town per se.

“Despite many feeling the outcome is already a done deal, we will continue our dialogue with local councillors and officers, as the final outcome will change the face of Harrogate town centre forever.”

A proposal to pedestrianise James Street in Harrogate, which is being consulted on as part of the Station Gateway plans.

A proposal to pedestrianise James Street in Harrogate, which was consulted on as part of the Station Gateway plans.

Of the 1,101 who responded to the survey, 45% supported the full pedestrianisation of James Street and 49% favoured the Station Parade one-lane proposal.

However, 17% said they favoured a part-pedestrianisation of James Street and 27% backed two lanes for Station Parade.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, told the Stray Ferret that he was “mindful” that businesses had their own views on matters such as James Street pedestrianisation.

He said:

“Pedestrianisation is one of those things that divides opinion. I’m mindful that many businesses on James Street have expressed their own view on it. 

“I wouldn’t like to second guess which option will be chosen when the county council’s executive meets next week.”

Pedestrianisation of Harrogate’s James Street moves a step closer

Council bosses in North Yorkshire and Harrogate are set to press ahead with designs for James Street and Station Parade as part of the £7.9 million Station Gateway scheme.

The project, which is being led by North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, was consulted on back in March over plans to pedestrianise James Street and reduce Station Parade to one lane.

A report will go before the county council’s executive next week which will recommend progressing to a detailed design stage with further consultation.

Of the 1,101 who responded to the survey, 45% supported the full pedestrianisation of James Street and 49% favoured the Station Parade one-lane proposal.

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However, 17% said they favoured a part-pedestrianisation of James Street and 27% backed two lanes for Station Parade.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, said:

“We are grateful to everyone across each of the towns who took the time to share their views in the consultation. We have listened. The next steps we are considering take into account the feedback we have received. 

“They take account of concerns raised while providing significant benefits to facilitate and encourage people to cycle and walk. There will, of course, be further consultation on detailed proposals before final decisions are taken.”

The main concerns raised during the consultation were the potential impact of increased congestion and the potential impact on businesses of reduced parking.

The county council said any pedestrianisation or part-pedestrianisation of James Street would result in loss of town centre parking.

How Station Parade might look under the new “station gateway” proposals.

It estimates that this would be no more than 45 out of 915 on-street pay and display spaces in the town centre. Currently, at peak occupancy, it is estimated there are 120 on-street spaces unused.

The pedestrianisation of James Street would also require a Traffic Regulation Order, meaning further consultation would be required.

Cllr Phil Ireland, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, said: 

“I’d like to thank those who have taken the time to complete the TCF consultation and shared their views on the Harrogate proposals.

“It’s positive to see that the proposals for sustainable alternatives to the car, and an improved and exciting public realm, have significant support from residents, businesses and visitors alike.

“The benefit of carrying out a consultation early on in the process is that we have everybody’s feedback and ideas to feed in to the next phase of detailed design work. We can now collectively work together, review the feedback, explore our options and design a 21st century travel network that supports economic growth for the region and something people can be proud.”

Further public consultation will take place in the autumn to inform proposals for implementation.

Following the development of detailed designs, a final business case will be prepared, including the outcome of further consultation, before approval is sought to implement the finalised designs.

Funding for the project comes as part of the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund and the schemes must be complete by March 2023.

Footfall in Harrogate will decline without change, says council leader

Footfall in Harrogate town centre will continue to decline if things do not change after the covid crisis, claims Harrogate Borough Council’s leader.

Speaking at a meeting of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, Cllr Richard Cooper said the pandemic had left more people shopping online and craving an “experience” in town centres.

Cllr Cooper’s comments last night came on the day retail and hospitality reopened for the first time since the third lockdown was imposed in January.

Businesses in the district pressed the council leader on what direction the town was going in after reopening, with some expressing concern over the Station Gateway project.

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Cllr Cooper said the vision for Harrogate was one that would see more people living and working in the town centre, more events and a high street that offered an experience.

He said:

“For the past seven years that I have been leader of the council, I have heard traders talking to me about footfall going down.

“If we carry on doing things as we are doing them, footfall will continue to go down.

“We need to do something different to get people into the town centre and to support retail because anchor stores are no longer going to be there. Debenhams is gone.”

Cllr Cooper added that the pandemic had accelerated the amount of people shopping online and the town needed to adapt.

However, Graham Strugnell, a chamber member for 20 years, said he had heard some of the council’s plans “time and time again” and added that businesses often saw proposals “fall away”.

Station Gateway

Cllr Cooper was pressed on whether he would listen to concerns raised by organisations, such as Harrogate Business Improvement District, Independent Harrogate and Harrogate Civic Society, about the gateway project.

The £7.9 million project is being led by North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

It could see James Street pedestrianised and Station Parade turned into a single lane with cycle routes.

Independent Harrogate has warned Harrogate’s hospitality and retail sector is in a ‘fragile and critical state’ and has ‘serious concerns’ about the scheme’s economic impact.

William Woods, of Independent Harrogate, asked the council leader whether he would listen to the organisations’ concerns.

Cllr Cooper said he would listen to all business bodies, but would commit to whatever the outcome of the consultation on the project was.

However, he added that people had supported changes to the town centre.

He said:

“It doesn’t matter what businesses say and it doesn’t matter what councillors say, if customers have a different view about how things should develop and about the kind of town centre that they are willing to go to, then they will simply vote with their feet.”

Harrogate could get county’s first CYCLOPS junction

Harrogate could get the county’s first CYCLOPS junction as part of a scheme to improve pedestrian and cycling safety.

Cycle Optimised Protected Signals are Dutch-style junctions, which separate cyclists from traffic to improve safety for all road users.

The UK’s first CYCLOPS was built in Manchester last year and now Harrogate could get one as part of North Yorkshire County Council’s active travel schemes, which are currently out for consultation.

Melissa Burnham, highways area manager, told a public event yesterday the idea had been put forward for the Station Parade junction of Victoria Avenue, which already has plans for new cycle lanes, a zebra crossing and ‘floating’ bus stop. She said:

“It is not something we have ever installed in North Yorkshire before but it is just an idea of what could be achieved.

“Essentially, the idea would be that any upgrade at this junction would have to incorporate all road users effectively and efficiently but it would be subject to necessary traffic modelling to understand the impact from Station Parade”.

Under the active travel schemes, there are also proposals for a 40mph limit, cycle lanes and junction upgrades on the A59 between Harrogate and Knaresborough.

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There were also plans to make Oatlands Drive in Harrogate one-way to free up road space for more cycling and walking improvements but this met strong objections from residents concerned about the impact on traffic.

North Yorkshire County Council has now put forward new proposals for a 20mph limit, junction improvements and restrictions on cars using St Hilda’s Road and St Winifred’s Drive, but there were still similar concerns raised at today’s consultation event.

Saints area ‘more dangerous’

One resident, Nick Manning, said the restrictions would turn nearby streets into rat runs and make the Saints area “more dangerous for walkers and cyclists, especially children walking to school”.

Another resident, Roger Tock, questioned:

“How do North Yorkshire County Council think that the additional cars being forced to access St Winifred’s Road are going to be beneficial to the currently unacceptable pollution and parking problems which have been allowed to be a problem in excess of 10 years?”

In response, Ms Burnham said comments and suggestions from all residents would be taken into account during the consultation process, which recently moved to a second phase with the publication of designs and will run until 12 April.

Councillor Don Mackenzie, the council’s executive member for access, also said while he recognised the concerns around the initial impact on roads, the active travel schemes – along with other projects including the £7.9m Harrogate Gateway and Beech Grove Low Traffic Neighbourhood – would have a “cumulative” effect on cutting congestion and carbon emissions.

“All of these schemes are cumulative and eventually will have the effect of making it more attractive for our residents to walk and cycle rather than get in cars. In that way, we can reduce congestion.

“For example, we originally planned a one-way option for Oatlands Drive but several residents said ‘that would make my journey into town by car longer’. All we were doing there was trying to make it more attractive to use a bike or feet to get into town.

“My point is that many of these interventions here will be cumulative and eventually build up an extremely good walking and cycling network.”

Stray Views: Do the planners actually get on their bikes?
Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. See below for details on how to contribute.

Do the planners ever cycle the routes they propose?

Why do North Yorkshire County Council feel it necessary to have a cycle lane to Knaresborough on the A59 when there is one already from Bilton Lane to Mother Shipton’s? It would be better if it was upgraded instead.

There is also an off road cycle path towards Harrogate from Knaresborough adjacent to the A59 but not as long as the one proposed. Interestingly the gradient from Mother Shipton’s to the junction of Bilton is around 3.13%.

They also give priority to traffic from the golf club. Further down there is an entrance to a farm field that also has priority over the cycle track.

It would be interesting to know how much cycling the people who plan these routes actually do. Or if they actually visit the sites rather than just viewing them on a two-dimensional drawing?

Catherine Alderson, Harrogate

Let’s have “wider thinking” on town planning

Members have contacted us with concerns about the proposed Station Gateway development and the potential negative impact in businesses.

Creating a better link between the train station (and bus station) and Harrogate town centre makes sense. Yet there has to be some doubt that these plans will really deliver those objectives.

We also have to consider the impact on businesses in Harrogate and the fact that Harrogate is a visitor destination, with many more people arriving by car than by bus or train.

My main concern is that this proposal is an example of “pocket thinking” in terms of planning. It feels opportunistic to do something because the money is coming from elsewhere. It is right to access funds, and yet in re-purposing a town such as Harrogate, there has to be a whole town approach as opposed to this pocket thinking of convenience.

By restricting traffic in one place, it is likely that congestion will move elsewhere and so there is no reduced traffic and no reduced carbon emission.

By improving the look and facilities in one part of town, does another part suffer from a lack of investment? In many ways the visual impression of James Street is an improvement. Interestingly it contains images of shops, and unless the footfall can be improved (footfall and accessibility go hand in hand), these shops will simply not exist. Furthermore, Harrogate has examples of pedestrianised areas that have not added to the image of the town, so the same mistakes should not be repeated.

Finally, will it be good for business?  These proposals remove parking spaces, forcing people to walk in, cycle in or take the bus. I suspect that the development of electric cars will move quicker than improvements in public transport, and yet more and more local authorities want to remove cars and accessibility.

Harrogate deserves wider thinking and ownership of a vision for the whole town rather than development in bite size chunks

Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association (former Harrogate resident)

Don’t give up Paul! 

To Paul Baverstock (Strayside Sunday)

Your Sunday messages are absolutely brilliant. I love ’em. I sincerely hope you don’t get assassinated by our Binary Democracy. Per Ardua Ad Astra.

Peter Bell

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Got an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Is there any consensus on Harrogate’s £7.9m Station Gateway project?

Over the past month, Harrogate businesses and residents group have responded to a consultation on the town’s £7.9 million Station Gateway proposals.

The plan, outlined by North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, seeks to encourage sustainable transport in the town centre.

Two of the most contentious proposals are to reduce Station Parade to one lane with cycle routes and a full pedestrianisation of James Street.

The responses over the past week suggest that not everyone is on the same page about what to do with the schemes.

As the consultation closes, the Stray Ferret has looked over the views of organisations, including business groups and climate change bodies, to see if there is any consensus.

Station Parade: one lane or two?

Organisations which represent businesses across Harrogate all agreed that Station Parade needs to be two lanes.

Both Independent Harrogate and Harrogate Business Improvement District have opposed the one lane option.

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Harrogate Civic Society have also opposed the proposal.

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However, the groups which campaign for climate change and better cycling in the district have backed the one lane option.

Zero Carbon Harrogate has backed the option as a means of reducing traffic in the town centre.

Meanwhile, Harrogate and District Cycle Action (HDCA) have also supported the measure as it would improve cycling infrastructure.

How Station Parade might look under the new “Station Gateway” proposals.

Should James Street be pedestrianised?

The proposal to pedestrianise James Street has been a long and controversial topic in the town.

North Yorkshire County Council had planned to temporarily pedestrianise the street up to Princes Square last year.

However, it backtracked on the proposal after backlash from local businesses. Council officials then promised to delay the issue until 2021.

Now, the topic is back on the table as part of the gateway project.

Two of the groups, Independent Harrogate and Harrogate BID, have renewed their opposition to full pedestrianisation of the street.

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However, they have said that widening of the pavements and narrowing of the junction at Station Parade to improve pedestrian access would be supported.

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce has said it would support a “semi-pedestrianisation” of the street.

Meanwhile, both Zero Carbon Harrogate and HDCA back full pedestrianisation.

What happens now?

The consultation into the Station Gateway project has closed.

The project will now consider the responses and move onto the detailed design stage.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive councillor for access at North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret that the authority had received thousands of submissions to its consultation.

He said:

“We had over 1,000 responses for the Harrogate consultation, far more than the two to three hundred for the schemes in Skipton and Selby. 

“The major question mark is around one lane or two lane and the pedestrianisation of James Street. We want to get cracking on it and we don’t want to hang about.”

Cllr Mackenzie added the consultation results would be published “in the next couple of days”.

According to the Transforming Cities website, any major changes proposed would require another stage of public consultation.

Construction for the schemes is earmarked for 2022.