A traffic order has been issued for the closure of part of James Street to vehicles as part of the £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway.

It is one of numerous orders published today as part of the controversial town centre scheme to boost walking and cycling.

If the proposals go ahead, traffic will be prohibited on James Street from the junction with Princes Street to Station Parade.

Traffic orders have also been published to remove town centre parking bays, reduce Station Parade to single lane traffic and make Cheltenham Mount one-way from its junction with Cheltenham Crescent to its junction with Mount Parade, which are also part of the scheme.

The traffic order at the James Street junction with Princes Street.

Cheltenham Mount would become one-way from Cheltenham Crescent to Mount Parade.

North Yorkshire County Council has yet to give the gateway approval and said the orders were a procedural move that would not prejudice its decision.

Richard Binks, head of major projects and infrastructure at the council, said:

“We are required to consult on traffic regulation orders relating to Harrogate’s Station Gateway. This is a statutory process we have to go through and is a requirement of the full business case submission to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

“This will not prejudice the decision on whether the scheme will proceed. We are committed to pressing ahead with the traffic regulation order as waiting until a decision is made on the scheme would result in further delays overall. A decision on the gateway scheme will be made in May.”

How Station Parade would look

But Judy d’Arcy Thompson, a Harrogate resident and business owner, said it was undemocratic of the council to proceed with the scheme when consultations had attracted more opposition than support.

She was also concerned about the impact of long-term roadworks on town centre businesses and people driving around Harrogate, adding:

“Many town centre businesses struggling back to life after covid would be knocked sideways by this.”

Lib Dems to decide?

Funding for the gateway scheme was secured in March 2020 and so far three consultations have taken place.

The council’s Conservative-controlled executive has now said the scheme will come before its Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee before a final decision is made in May.

Eight of the committee’s 14 members are Liberal Democrats and Cllr Keane Duncan, the Conservative executive member for highways and transportation at the council, has said it would be “very difficult for us to proceed” if the committee opposed it.

Committee member Cllr Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley — told a council meeting last night he was coming round to support the project.

People have four weeks to comment on the traffic orders, copies of which are available at Harrogate library, the Civic Centre and County Hall in Northallerton.

They are also due to be published here.

Comments should be submitted by April 6 by email to area6.boroughbridge@northyorks.gov.uk or in writing to North Yorkshire County Council, Customer Service Centre, County Hall, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 5AD.