City councillors will renew efforts this autumn to secure a bus service designed for Ripon’s residential roads and streets.

The city is well-served by Transdev’s 36 service, which provides regular buses to and from Leeds, via Harrogate and last month an uber-style service linking Ripon, Bedale and Masham, was launched as a pilot.

However, in-city bus services in Ripon have been patchy for many years.

Council leader Andrew Williams, told the Stray Ferret:

“With the Section 106 monies from the Bishops Glade residential development and St Michael’s Retail Park, North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) as the integrated transport authority, has the financial means to fund a properly joined up city-wide bus service for Ripon.

“In addition to the contributions that developers are required to make towards the provision of bus services, the city council has funds ready to put into the pot.”

Cllr Williams pointed out:

“With a growing population, bringing increased traffic and more pressure on Ripon’s road network, it makes sense to encourage greater use of public transport for visiting the city centre, getting to work, school and for other travel needs.”

Section 106 monies from the developer of the Bishops Glade scheme could be used to improve city-wide bus services in Ripon

Harron Homes, which is building 145 dwellings at the Bishops Glade development in the Doublegates area of Ripon, is making payments totalling £500,000 over three years, towards the cost of providing a regular Monday to Saturday bus service between the development and the city centre.

At Rotary Way, where the St Michael’s Retail Park is home to a Marks & Spencer Food store, developer Commercial Projects Ltd, is required to make a  Section 106 payment of £475,000 towards the cost of a local bus service.

This is designed to provide a public transport means for customers to visit the edge-of-city scheme, where Lidl also has plans to open a supermarket.

Elected members have been seeking improved public transport provision for some time and Cllr Peter Horton, who chairs the city council transport group, said earlier this year:

“We will liaise with North Yorkshire County Council to discuss how the sources of funding can be drawn together.

“As a growing city, it makes sense to have a robust and regular bus service that reduces the need for cars to come into the centre, where parking is at a premium, while also providing a means for non-drivers to come into town.

“There are environmental benefits as well, as fewer car journeys into Ripon city centre will reduce the emissions that cause global warming.”

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Discussions with NYCC have been delayed by the covid lockdowns, but the city council will seek meetings at county hall in the autumn, in the hope that the tendering process for a new, comprehensive inner Ripon service, can be held at the earliest opportunity.

Motorists can expect lengthy delays on the Ripon bypass for the next two weeks from today.

Maintenance work on the Duchess of Kent Bridge is due to start at 6pm. The work is scheduled for completion by July 10.

North Yorkshire County Council has said the works will take place overnight and finish daily at 6am, to minimise disruption to road users.

During the work, four-way traffic lights will be in operation at the northern-most roundabout on the bypass, which has exits to Ripon, Masham, Leyburn, Sharow and Copt Hewick.

Four-way traffic lights will operate at the roundabout between 6pm and 6am.

Cllr Mike Chambers, the county council’s member for Ripon North, said:

“The maintenance to this well-used bridge will involve replacing the expansion joints and surfacing works to remove the depressions at each end of the bridge.

“The work will be carried out overnight to minimise disruption as much as possible. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.”

The bridge crossing the River Ure was officially opened by the Yorkshire-born duchess in March 1996.

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