Council leader faces call to drop £11.2m Harrogate Station Gateway if public oppose it

The leader of North Yorkshire County Council has faced a call to drop Harrogate’s Station Gateway project if the results of a consultation this week reveal public opposition.

Cllr Carl Les and council chief executive Richard Flinton spoke to business leaders at a Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce meeting at Rudding Park last night.

After a presentation by Mr Flinton about the new North Yorkshire Council, the two answered questions from the audience when the topic of the Station Gateway came up.

The £11.2 million project has been in development for three years after funding was won from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

It aims to make the town centre more accessible to cyclists and pedestrians and has been welcomed by those who want more active travel in the town. But some aspects of the scheme, such as reducing Station Parade to single-lane traffic and a part-pedestrianisation of James Street have proved to be unpopular with some business owners.

The results of a third round of consultation were expected to be published before Christmas but were delayed after the council received over 5,000 individual comments. Mr Flinton told the meeting the results of the consultation will be published in a report on Friday.

Drawing some gasps from the audience, the chamber’s chief executive, David Simister, asked Cllr Les if the council would drop the project should a majority of those who took part in the consultation oppose it.

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In response, Cllr Les said:

“There’s a possibility of a huge amount of investment coming to in the town, we don’t want to lose sight of it”.

If the report is approved by the council executive, it will be discussed at a Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee meeting in spring before the Conservative council’s executive makes a final decision in June.

Cllr Les suggested the opinions of councillors sitting on the area committee, which has a majority of Liberal Democrats, could be influential in deciding whether the project goes ahead. He said:

“I think whatever decisions the executive wants to make about the Transforming Cities Fund, leaving aside the fact that it’s a huge amount of money that could benefit the town, I would want to be guided by them [on the area committee] as well. I would not want to be doing something that is not in step with my colleagues”.

Transport chief still ‘committed’ to Harrogate Station Gateway, despite inflation fears

North Yorkshire County Council remains “committed to moving forward” with Harrogate’s £10.9m Station Gateway project — with work set to begin November 2023.

It follows mounting concerns over the increased cost of building materials and how inflation will impact delivery of the long-awaited scheme.

Conservative councillor Keane Duncan, executive member for highways at the council, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the scheme will go ahead but “elements could change” due to inflationary pressures and feedback from the latest public consultation.

Last month, Cllr Duncan sent a letter to David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, that made 10 pledges to the Harrogate business community following feedback.

These included a commitment for the new council to hold a full parking review and for regular meetings to take place during construction between business owners and the building contractor Galliford Try.

Cllr Duncan added:

“I have also made clear that if we need to change elements of the scheme due to inflationary pressures, we will not compromise on quality.

“The third consultation attracted more than 5,000 individual comments. This is a significant response, and it has taken longer than expected to consider all these responses in detail. I feel it is right and proper, however, that they are given the due attention they deserve, and this process can only strengthen the final design.”

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The gateway project has been in development for three years and aims to make the town centre more accessible to cyclists and pedestrians.

But measures such as reducing Station Parade to one-lane traffic and a part-pedestrianisation of James Street have proved to be unpopular with some business leaders in Harrogate.

Inflationary pressures

Since the project won government funding through its Transforming Cities Fund with an expected budget of £7.9m, inflation and the cost of building materials have led councils across the country to revaluate major building projects.

Last week, West Yorkshire Combined Authority announced that projects including the Bradford to Shipley Corridor, South East Bradford Access Road, Halifax Station Gateway, Leeds Inland Port were due to be “paused” indefinitely for financial reasons.

Mr Simister told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he was unsure if the scheme in Harrogate would be delivered.

A further obstacle was placed in front of the council this year when the property firm Hornbeam Park Developments threatened a judicial review after claiming a council-run consultation on the proposals was “unlawful” — which the council rejects.

Mr Simister said:

“We first discussed the gateway proposals in February 2020, that’s coming up to three years. It’s an awfully long time.

“With inflation rising you wonder about costs. The economy is conspiring against them and there’s also the threat of judicial review.

“I do want to see investment in Harrogate town centre but costs are going up. The council has guaranteed it will be a quality project. They are going to have to do more for less.”

“We are continuing the dialogue with Keane Duncan. I value the relationship we have with him but he does have to listen. Our door is open for him, but we’ll see what happens.”

New Harrogate Station Gateway details revealed today

The councils behind the Harrogate Station Gateway said it was time for the town to “seize the opportunity” today, as new details of the project emerged.

A media briefing was held in Harrogate today before a third phase of consultation on the latest proposals begins on Wednesday.

Key elements of the scheme, including the part-pedestrianisation of James Street and some of Station Parade being reduced to single lane, remain in place and are non-negotiable, councillors said.

But the briefing did reveal some changes:

Odeon roundabout

The Odeon roundabout

Conservative councillor Keane Duncan, the executive member for access and transportation at the county council, told the briefing it was time to “crack on”.

He said:

“We want to continue with this scheme. It’s an exciting opportunity for Harrogate. We are at the stage where we either seize the opportunity or lose it.

“We need to take this scheme forward. If we didn’t it would be a travesty for Harrogate.”

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The scheme aims to encourage cycling and walking and make the town centre a more pleasant place to visit.

But business groups fear the loss of parking spaces and potential congestion could deter shoppers.

Cllr Duncan said the council didn’t want a “war” with businesses, which have expressed major doubts about the initiative.

He said the gateway would attract more people into the town centre and be good for business.

‘First major investment in Harrogate for 30 years’

Councillor Phil Ireland, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, said the scheme was a “fantastic regeneration project and the first major investment in Harrogate in 30 years”.

Cllr Ireland added that if it didn’t succeed, after months of wrangling, it could “affect how Harrogate is looked upon when future funding is available”.

He said the average car journey in the Harrogate district was less than 2km and this scheme would encourage more people in the town centre vicinity to walk or cycle. Those who didn’t, he added, still had 6,000 parking spaces, many of which are free.

The Harrogate scheme is one of three in North Yorkshire, and 39 nationally, being funded by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund.

Tania Weston, Transforming Cities Fund programme manager at the county council, hailed the public realm benefits, such as completely revamping Station Square to include a water feature and new seats.

Ms Weston added empirical evidence suggested there was widespread misconception about the impact of active travel schemes on businesses, with them usually having a “positive or neutral” impact.

One Arch

One Arch

She said there would also be a focus on making One Arch “pleasanter” by improving the landscaping and introducing lights with a “shimmering” effect inside the tunnel.

Drop-in sessions will be held from 9am to 5pm at the Victoria Shopping Centre on August 4, 5 and 6 as part of the consultation. An online event will be held on August 10 at 6pm.

 

£10.9m Harrogate Station Gateway will ‘boost business’

The £10.9 million Station Gateway will boost Harrogate businesses by enhancing the town centre, according to those leading the scheme.

An online consultation event last night gave people the first chance to ask questions about the scheme, which aims to transform the area around the bus and train stations and encourage more people to walk and cycle, since the latest designs were revealed this week.

The current proposals would see traffic on Station Parade reduced to single lane and James Street pedestrianised between Princes Square and Station Parade.

Work could begin next summer and last up to a year, causing major disruption to the town centre and reduced parking, which concerns some businesses still trying to recover from covid.

In response to a question about what assessment had been made about the impact of the scheme on businesses, Matthew Roberts, economy and transport officer at Harrogate Borough Council, said it was a case of “short-term disruption for long-term gain”.

He said case studies from similar schemes had shown they could boost trade by up to 40 per cent by making the town centre more attractive and making it easier to access for non-car users.  Mr Roberts said:

“Behaviours are changing and the town needs to evolve with it.

“The mixture of case study evidence and local evidence has led me to believe this will firmly benefit the town’s economy.”

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In a video message to the event, county councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, which is leading on the scheme, said the Station Gateway would provide a “great economic boost to the town centre but also boost sustainable travel”.

Chris Harris, who is leading the design team on the project, said changes to James Street would “significantly the feel of the street for people shopping and moving around on foot” and also enable more features such as trees and plants.

He said the scheme would also “make more of a feature” of the Victoria monument by making it more visible.

Mr Harris added the project had a “tight window” but there was “still an opportunity to update things as we move forward”.

What happens next?

A second online consultation event will be held from 6pm to 7pm on Thursday next week.

People can meet members of the project team face-to-face to discuss the plans at the Victoria Shopping Centre on October 27, October 29 and November 5. There is also a business-only event on November 1.

People can also fill in a form online giving feedback.

Details of the consultation, which runs until November 12, are available here.

Councillor Mackenzie will discuss the scheme with Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce on November 8.

Following the consultation, a final business case will be prepared before approval is sought to deliver the schemes.

What is the Harrogate Station Gateway?

The Harrogate scheme is one of three projects worth a combined £42m in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby funded by the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, which encourages cycling and walking.

They are being delivered in partnership by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Craven District Council and Selby District Council.

It is anticipated that work in Harrogate will begin by the middle of next year.

Harrogate businesses call for meeting to discuss £10.9m Station Gateway

Business representatives in Harrogate have called for face-to-face meetings to be held to discuss the latest plans for the £10.9 million Station Gateway project.

North Yorkshire County Council announced yesterday that people will be able to hear more about the plans and ask questions at two hour-long online events on October 21 and 28.

People will also have the chance to fill in a consultation survey.

But businesses say such a key decision, which could have a major long-term impact on the town by pedestrianising James Street and reducing traffic on Station Parade to single lane, requires a large scale physical meeting everyone can attend.

Richard Norman, owner of town centre jewellers Fogal and Barnes, said:

“It’s vitally important for the whole town that people can get together and have a proper adult conversation and decide what’s best.

“This scheme is not just about environmental issues — there are challenges around jobs too.”

Richard and Mona Norman

Mr Norman is also managing director of marketing organisation Brand Yorkshire, which held a conference last week in Harrogate. He said:

“Everyone said it was far better meeting face-to-face. All the online meetings I’ve seen have been too clinical. You can’t read body language.”

“Having an actual meeting is the correct thing to do for such a big issue.

“I can’t tell what impact this will have on my business until I see the full proposal. My concern is they will try to railroad it through, which is why we should have an actual meeting.”

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David Simister, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, agreed and said it would invite Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, to its November meeting to discuss the proposals with businesses.

Mr Simister said:

“It’s important that our elected members hear what businesses have to say about it.”

Project team to meet in Harrogate

Asked to respond to the lack of notice of physical meetings, a North Yorkshire County Council spokesman said there would be opportunities to discuss concerns directly with the project team in a unit in the Victoria Shopping Centre.

“Online events enable as many people as possible to attend and ensure covid safety.

“However, during the consultation there will be opportunities for members of the public and businesses to speak to the project team face-to-face at a dedicated unit within the Victoria Shopping Centre.

“These will take place on Wednesday 27 October, the morning of Friday 29 October, Monday 1 November (for businesses only) and Friday 5 November.

“Businesses in the area will be contacted with details of how to book a slot for 1 November. In addition, the project team will be speaking to businesses at an open chamber of trade event on 8 November.”

New plans yet to be revealed

Cllr Mackenzie said yesterday the council had listened to feedback from previous consultations on the initial plans and “taken that response into account in the further development of the designs”.

But details of the changes are not yet available.

Cllr Mackenzie told the Stray Ferret:

“The exact details of the proposals and designs for all three gateway schemes, which are going forward for public consultation from next Monday, will be published online in the next few days.

The Harrogate scheme is one of three projects worth a combined £42m in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby paid for by the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, which encourages cycling and walking.

They are being delivered in partnership by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Craven District Council and Selby District Council.

Details of the online consultation, which runs until November 12, will be available from Monday at www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/northyorkshire

Following this consultation, a final business case will be prepared before approval is sought to deliver the schemes.

It is anticipated that work in Harrogate will begin by mid-2022 and be completed by March 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.”

Queen Victoria will remain on her plinth in Harrogate

The statue of Queen Victoria that has watched over Harrogate since 1887 is set to remain.

Local historian Malcolm Neesam raised concerns the white marble monument could be moved as part of the £7.9 million Station Gateway project.

The project, funded by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, will radically transform Station Parade, where the statue is located.

A consultation document asks for views on moving the monument, which put the issue on the agenda and prompted Mr Neesam’s concerns.

But at a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee yesterday, councillors put the matter to bed.

Aidan Rayner, Transforming Cities Fund delivery manager at the county council, said the monument was included in initial proposals to get peoples’ views.

However, he added that it will no longer be included in any future consultation and that there was no plans to move it.

He said:

“I can be very clear that it is not required to move it and currently there are no plans to move it as part of these proposals.”

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member of access at the county council, told the committee:

“There is certainly no intention on our part to move the monument. I am very cognisant of Malcolm Neesam’s views on that.”

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Mr Neesam welcomed the news and suggested railings, which were removed from the monument in 1941, should be restored. He said:

“Eighty years after the government encouraged Harrogate to remove the Victoria monument’s decorative railings which marked the site boundary, it really is about time they were restored. Is this too much to ask?”

Richard Ellis inserted several covenants into the deed of gift when he presented the statue to the town, requiring that if any attempt were made to move it, the land should be offered back to the Ellis family.

 

Call for public to engage with Harrogate Station Gateway plans

Residents are being urged to engage with a consultation to help shape the future of Harrogate town centre.

The Station Gateway project could see funding of £7.8m spent transforming the bus and rail interchange and the public space around them.

Proposals also include reducing Station Parade to just one lane for cars, allowing more space for cycling lanes, to encourage more people to use public transport or to walk or cycle.

The plans have been put forward by North Yorkshire County and Harrogate Borough Councils, in partnership with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Craven and Selby district councils, as part of a £31m grant awarded through the Transforming Cities Fund (TCF). As well as the Harrogate proposals, the project includes changes for Selby and Skipton’s stations.

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:

“Improving the gateways to these towns will not only make them more attractive, but will also provide infrastructure for sustainable travel. We have looked at barriers to people accessing public transport, cycling and walking and devised schemes to address these.

“I hope people will have their say through the consultation and take advantage of the online events to learn more and to ask questions.”

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Public events are being held online for residents to hear more about the plans and to ask questions about them. The Harrogate events take place on Wednesday, March 3 and Wednesday, March 10, both at 6pm.

The consultation runs until Wednesday, March 24, and anyone planning to take part is encouraged to engage with one of the online sessions beforehand. To find out more, click here.

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

“Through the Harrogate Congestion Study, it was clear the community wanted to see improvements to walking, cycling and public transport prioritised. The TCF project is the first step to delivering this and I’m pleased that the hard work and determination of council officers has paid off, and helped secure around £8million for the Harrogate bid.”

The authorities involved have promised that public feedback will be used to help shape the next stage of the plans.

They have already come under fire from business groups, including Harrogate BID, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce and Independent Harrogate, who said they money could be better spent improving other areas such as Cambridge Street. However, the TCF can only be used for projects relating to transport.

Retailers on Albert Row, which runs along Station Parade, have also raised concerns about how the proposals will affect the area nearest their businesses, saying they could not fairly comment without more information.

What’s your view of the Station Gateway proposal? Email letters@thestrayferret.co.uk with your thoughts and we may include it on our letters page, Stray Views, published each Sunday.