The £19,000 reconstruction and repair of the church wall at St Andrew’s Kirkby Malzeard will move a step closer today.
A 10-metre section of wall collapsed onto Church Street on February 19, causing the closure of the principal route between Kirkby Malzeard and Masham.
A diversion has been in place for more than eight months.
Planning permission is required for reconstruction of the collapsed section and repair of a further 30-metre length of the wall.
Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) has responsibility for the structure bordering the graveyard of the 12th century church, which was registered as a Grade I Listed Building in March 1967.
Read more:
At a planning committee meeting today councillors will be asked to approve an application for reconstruction and repair of the stone wall.
Approval by members of the committee would be subject to conditions and if supported, final consent will be deferred to the executive officer for development management and building control.
HBC had initially hoped to have the wall reconstructed and repaired and the carriageway reopened to through traffic by the end of June.
However, timescales had to be reviewed because of the impact of the covid-19 pandemic.
St Andrew’s Church
Before work can proceed, further discussions need to be completed with Historic England, which has raised concerns about the proposed method of reconstructing the wall.
In a letter to HBC, the heritage watchdog, said:
“The church complex, including the churchyard and wall is considered to have exceptional heritage significance which derives from its architectural styles, legible plan-form, good surviving historical fabric and its continued focal point for rural community life.”
A report to councillors, says:
Ripon council seeks to resolve uneven roads around market square“Negotiations are ongoing with regards to the technical details, but the scheme is considered to be acceptable in principle.
“The principle of rebuilding the wall is accepted and whilst any stabilisation works will lead to ‘less than substantial harm’ to the structure it is considered that subject to agreeing a suitable method of construction and stabilisation, the public benefits of rebuilding the wall outweigh this harm.”
Roads running around the four quarters of Ripon’s ancient Market Square have been branded a ‘disgrace’ and ‘not fit for purpose.’
The problem lies in block paving, which replaced a tarmac surface that previously surrounded the square.
Traffic, including heavy goods vehicles and Transdev’s double deck 36 bus service, have to use the circulatory route.
A patched-up section of Market Place East
Weight of traffic, which is increasing as new housing schemes bring more vehicles into the city centre, is adding to the problem, as the blocks are regularly coming out of place or being damaged.
Read more:
- Ripon councillors say report is ‘flawed’
- Ripon wears its poppies with pride
- Santa’s sleigh saved from Ripon scrapheap
- Lights fantastic for Ripon festivities
With Market Place East – now resembling a patchwork quilt, as sections of tarmac fill gaps where the surface has sunk – Ripon City Council is calling for an end to the Ripon’s bumpy ride and a return of tarmac, which councillors considered a more suitable and serviceable surface.
Councillors Stuart Martin and Mike Chambers, who are Ripon’s representatives on North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) agreed that the time is right to call for the highway authority to act.
Cllr Martin, said:
“I have raised the matter with the highways department. The Market Place East and West roads are a disgrace and not fit for purpose.”
At Ripon City Council’s virtual full council meeting, members voted unanimously to call on NYCC to replace the block paving with tarmac.
Council leader, Councillor Andrew Williams, said:
“When the work is done, we can ask for the contractors to work in the evening, to minimise disruption to the city centre.”
To avoid disruption to Christmas trade, it was agreed that tarmac patches on affected areas, would be an acceptable temporary solution.
Six weeks of roadworks begin on Leeds Road
Six weeks of roadworks began this morning on the Leeds Road roundabout, leaving the area gridlocked throughout the day.
The works will be in place until August 28 to allow Northern Powergrid to carry out cable overlay works.
Two of the roundabout’s six exits on Langcliffe Avenue and Park Drive have been closed and traffic lights are in place on the others. This left many commuters stuck in traffic or having to take long diversions.
The roadworks are set to stay along Leeds Road for six weeks.
Similar works are taking place along Skipton Road over a 12-week period. Those works are in order for Northern Gas Networks to replace the old metal pipes running along the road. Richard White, business operations lead for Northern Gas Networks, said:
“This investment will ensure residents and businesses in Harrogate continue to receive a safe and reliable gas supply for decades to come.
“We appreciate that no one likes roadworks, but we will be doing everything possible to complete this work as quickly as possible, while maintaining safe working practices.”
Read more:
- Whinney Lane will be closed for seven months to allow for two construction sites to be worked on.
- A ‘green’ car club has launched in Harrogate where you can hire low-emission vehicles by the hour.
The works come following several quieter months on the roads as many people worked from home. Following the Prime Minister’s announcements suggesting that people can return to work, the next six weeks are likely to involve much longer commutes.
The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire County Council for a comment on the works, but had not received a response at the time of publication.