Fresh concerns over Knaresborough’s ‘most dangerous junction’

Concerns have again been raised about the safety of pedestrian crossings at what has been described as Knaresborough’s “most dangerous junction”.

Former town councillor James Monaghan first raised the issue of drivers ignoring red lights at the four-way junction where York Place, High Street, Gracious Street and Park Row meet in 2017 – and he now says the problem is “as bad as ever”.

He said:

“On a daily basis cars and vans drive through the green man when pedestrians should be able to cross safely.

“This is dangerous enough, but on a crossing used by hundreds of school children daily it is an accident waiting to happen.

“With all the new houses that have been built across the district and the associated cars, congestion has only got worse and it needs to be addressed for everyone’s safety and convenience.”

Mr Monaghan said the problem has not been tackled by North Yorkshire County Council, which changed the traffic lights four years ago to allow more time for the junction to clear before pedestrians are invited to cross.

The county council said the detection system failed “a few months ago,” but has now been fixed with works being completed last week.

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Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the county council, said:

“We know of the concerns around the pedestrian stage of the signal cycle at the junction of High Street and Gracious Street.

“The signals team will continue to monitor the effective operation of the signal equipment and timing.”

Ms Burnham also said it was the responsibility of motorists to ensure they follow the rules of the road. She said:

“We do all we can to ensure this junction operates as effectively as possible, but we also ask drivers who use this junction to respect all road users and the traffic light systems in place, ensuring they are driving safely in accordance with the local conditions.”

Broken down lorry causes travel problems in Harrogate

A broken down lorry is causing travel problems in Harrogate town centre.

The large Waitrose lorry is stuck on King’s Road, outside Harrogate Convention Centre.

By 2.40pm today, it had been there for about an hour awaiting recovery.

There are two lanes, so traffic is currently able to pass on the inside of it.

A Waitrose lorry has broken down on Harrogate's Kings Road.

The broken down lorry on Harrogate’s Kings Road.

However, it is causing some problems by backing up traffic turning on to King’s Road from Parliament Street and Ripon Road.

Motorists will be hoping the vehicle is moved before the Friday night rush hour begins.

Send us your traffic updates at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

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Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district traffic update

Some roadworks are in place across the Harrogate district today.

However, trains and bus services are running as normal.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

CityFibre is due to carry out maintenance work on Claro Road in Harrogate today.

The work may cause delays and is set to continue until July 5.

In Ripon, Princess Road is closed until tomorrow for resurfacing works.

As previously reported by the Stray Ferret, Minster Road will be closed until July 8 as North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfaces the road.

As usual, drivers should be aware of the normal rush hour traffic on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road, Skipton Road and Knaresborough Road.

Trains and buses

Train services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting no cancellations on its services.

You can find out more information on bus service disruption here.

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Traffic and Travel Alert: Harrogate district roads and public transport roundup

While some roadworks are in place in Harrogate, traffic is moving normally this morning.

Here is your Stray Ferret traffic update.

Roads

Motorists should allow extra time for usual traffic during rush hour on both Wetherby Road and Skipton Road this morning.

Roadworks on Skipton Road continue as CityFibre carries out maintenance work. This is due to end tomorrow.

Works are also taking place on Westmoreland Street and Dragon Parade.

Meanwhile, CityFibre is also carrying out maintenance work on North Park Road.

In Ripon, Princess Road is closed until tomorrow for resurfacing works.

As previously reported by the Stray Ferret, Minster Road will be closed from tomorrow until July 8 as North Yorkshire County Council carries out resurfaces the road.

Trains and buses

Train services between Harrogate and Knaresborough going to York and Leeds are scheduled to run as normal this morning.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate Bus Company is reporting no cancellations on its services.

You can find out more information on bus service disruption here.

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Video shows lorry crashing into Harrogate traffic light

A video has emerged of a lorry knocking over a traffic light on Skipton Road in Harrogate.

The footage appears to show a bus being towed at the junction with King’s Road, outside Bilton Working Men’s Club on Monday morning.

The trailer hits the barrier and the traffic light, which is knocked over.

The incident was one of many to cause disruption on Harrogate’s roads on Monday.

You can watch the clip below.

Barry Robertson, from Middlesbrough, uploaded the footage, which was recorded as he was driving through Harrogate.

He said drivers beeped their horns to alert the lorry driver when his vehicle got close to the barrier and traffic light.

He added that an elderly man in a car in the opposite lane where the traffic light crashed was left bemused by the incident.

“It was quite bad.

“There was an old man in the car. I don’t think he realised what happened.”

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Police later attended the scene and the light was moved, but traffic was left queueing for miles in both directions.

The situation was made worse when resurfacing work outside the Leon drive-thru on Wetherby Road caused traffic to queue back onto Skipton Road.

Four-mile queues as traffic chaos descends on Harrogate

Motorists are enduring misery on the roads in Harrogate today, with long delays on three of the main routes around town.

Wetherby Road, Skipton Road and Ripon Road have all been affected by incidents, bringing traffic to a standstill on the northern side of Harrogate.

Resurfacing outside the yet-to-open Leon drive-through close to the Woodlands junction is causing long delays in both directions on Wetherby Road and Hookstone Drive.

Road works Leon

Resurfacing outside Leon

Traffic heading towards the Kestrel roundabout is backing up all the way from Leon to the Empress roundabout and all along Skipton Road to New Park roundabout – a distance of almost four miles.

The four-way traffic lights at the Woodlands junction, near the Leon site, brought tailbacks to Hornbeam Park.

Many vehicles were turning around in attempts to avoid the queues.

 

Skipton Road fallen traffic lights

The fallen traffic lights.

Skipton Road fallen traffic lights

The central reservation damaged by the traffic lights.

The situation was made worse this morning when a traffic light at the junction of Skipton Road and King’s Road, near Bilton Working Men’s Club, came crashing down.

That has now been removed but traffic was still queueing for miles in all directions when the Stray Ferret cycled around town at about midday today.

Skipton Road queue

Queueing on Skipton Road

Motorists trying to avoid the delays on Skipton Road by heading into town on Ripon Road were hit by further roadworks outside Cygnet Hospital.

Ripon Road roadworks

Roadworks on Ripon Road is adding to delays.

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Masham Bridge repairs to begin next month

Delayed works to repair Masham Bridge look set to begin in June.

The Grade II listed bridge was damaged after a car ploughed through a wall and almost ended up in the River Ure in December.

After the incident, a police spokesman said a man in his 30s was very lucky to escape without any injuries.

Since December, temporary traffic lights have caused disruption to motorists crossing the bridge.

North Yorkshire County Council said it has been unable to retrieve stones from the collapsed wall that sunk in the river due to high water levels.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at NYCC, said the authority hopes work to repair the bridge will begin in June in time for the summer tourist season.

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Ms Burnham said:

“We appreciate the disruption that the temporary traffic lights on Masham Bridge are causing and are doing all we can to repair the bridge and have both lanes reopen ahead of the busy summer season.

“Unfortunately starting the repairs have taken longer than expected. High river levels during the winter months and the need to access third party land delayed retrieving the stone. This has now been completed and we are working with contractors to decide on the best method of repairs with minimum disruption to the public.

“We will liaise with the town council before a start date is scheduled. However, we look to carry out the repairs in June. We hope to keep the road open under traffic management and will keep the public updated in due course.”

 

Traffic and Travel Alert: Roadworks on Wetherby Road, before Woodlands traffic lights, have closed a section of lane and caused delays into town

Roadworks to the new Leon Harrogate site are causing delays after a section of Wetherby Road had to be closed.

Due to works on the pavement and tree removal, a section of the lane Macham Close and Hookstone Drive has been closed.

The works are set to continue until June 19.

The new Leon Harrogate, just before the Woodlands traffic lights, was formally a dental surgery and although previously earmarked to be a Starbuck drive-thru is will a Leon, described as a healthy fast food chain.

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Concerns over traffic and environment as £1bn plan to dual A66 presses ahead

Concerns over additional traffic, the environment and construction have been raised over a planned £1 billion upgrade of one of England’s busiest roads.

National Highways, formerly Highways England, today published a summary report of its consultation into the project to dual the remaining parts of the A66 between the M6 at Penrith and A1 at Scotch Corner.

The road is used by thousands of drivers in the north of England each day to travel between the north east and Cumbria and on to Scotland. Many experience delays due to the regular changes from single to dual carriageways.

A total of 645 said they were in favour of dualling the remaining single carriageway, whereas 68 opposed the move and 87 said they were neutral.

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In its summary report, National Highways said the most common concerns raised were over construction, traffic and the environment.

It said:

“Some people raised issues about an insufficient reduction in traffic when the project was finished, with a concern that dualling could attract additional traffic from other routes.”

Others had concerns that the project could disrupt wildlife and increase congestion during construction.

Appleby Fair could move

The report also reveals National Highways is considering an alternative to the proposed replacement of the travelling community’s Brough Hill Fair site on the section between Appleby and Brough. It says:

“In the autumn ​2021 statutory consultation, a site to the east of Warcop was earmarked on land belonging to the Ministry of Defence — ​known as the “bivvy” site.

“An alternative location, approximately 1.6 miles east from the current site, is now also being considered ​​in response to feedback from the statutory consultation.”

The responses are helping to shape the final design and inform National Highways’ application for a Development Consent Order in May 2022 which, if successful, will pave the way for the project to dual the entire road to go ahead.

Lee Hillyard, National Highways’ A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project director, said:

“We’re delighted so many people have taken such a keen interest in our proposals.

“Today we’ve published our statutory consultation summary report and spring 2022 project update, which is the perfect opportunity to provide the latest information and show how we are acting on the feedback we’ve received.”

Plans for 1,300 homes could leave Ripon in ‘perpetual gridlock’

Homes England will not be allowed to ‘ride roughshod’ over the wishes of people in Ripon and must renew consultation with the city council.

That was the unanimous view this week of elected members, who have described the proposed traffic plan for the 1,300-home Clotherholme development on the barracks site as ‘unacceptable’.

Speaking at Monday’s city council meeting, Conservatives Stuart Martin and Mike Chambers, who are also district and county councillors, joined Conservative parish councillors and the ruling Independents in voicing concerns.

Cllr Martin said:

“At the outline planning stage, this is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we have to get things right on the traffic front.

“If we don’t, the city will suffer the consequences for years to come.”

City centre roads ‘at capacity’

Cllr Chambers added:

“The city centre roads are at capacity and we must make it known to Harrogate Borough Council that this plan does not work and will not work, if Homes England doesn’t come forward with new traffic mitigation measures.”

Homes England, which is the government housing agency also owns the West Lane site in Ripon where 390 homes will be built by Taylor Wimpey after outline planning permission was granted last month.

City council leader Andrew Williams said:

“Between the two sites they have almost 1,700 houses and I recommend that we say we are willing to accept 800 homes at Clotherholme and hold back on making a decision on the other 500 until this council is satisfied that Homes England has properly and thoroughly addressed the traffic issue.

“We will not allow people who don’t live in Ripon to make decisions from afar that ride roughshod over the wishes of local residents, who don’t want a city that is in perpetual gridlock.”

Photo of the Somerset Row, Low Skellgate junction

The busy junction of Somerset Row with High and Low Skellgate, where vehicles would not be able to turn right under the Homes England traffic plan.

“One of the unacceptable proposals in the plan is to prevent traffic at the junction of Somerset Row with Low Skellgate from turning right, meaning a detour for thousands of motorists a week.”

Cllr Williams’ proposed staged approach to handling planning for the Clotherholme scheme, was supported by all councillors, who also called for Harrogate planners and Homes England to come to the city council to hear the views of members.

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Cllr Pauline McHardy said;

“We haven’t met with them for over a year and it’s about time for them to get around the table with us, so we can let them know about the concerns people from all parts of the city are expressing about the traffic impact that the barracks site will have.”

Support for Ripon Military Heritage Trust

Prior to their discussion about the Clotherholme scheme, Christopher Hughes, chairman of Ripon Civic Society and Alan Skidmore, a trustee of the the Ripon Military Heritage Trust, addressed the council.

They provided an update on proposals to seek protection for historically-significant structures at the barracks site, which are currently threatened with demolition to make way for the new homes development.

It was agreed that in its correspondence with Harrogate planners, the city council will confirm that the trust’s proposals have the unanimous support of the council.

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