Over the past few years, Harrogate has positioned itself as a cycling destination. It hosted the Tour De France, Tour De Yorkshire and UCI Cycling championships – yet the reality is, it hasn’t completed one of its major cycling routes into town.
At a time when the voices of cycling groups and environmental campaigners are growing louder, less than a mile of cycle route down the Otley Road has yet to be built and the larger Station Parade “Gateway” project also looks set to be problematic.
Otley Road: Stage One
£3.2 million was secured in 2018 for a scheme as part of a wider project called the West Harrogate Sustainable Improvement Package. The money was for a cycle lane from Cardale Park to the Prince of Wales roundabout.
The first stage from Harlow Moor Road to Harrogate Grammar School had begun but the project was then halted due to coronavirus.
Council bosses have said that the project could re-start next month, the money will be held over. All this, after two years of waiting.
This part of the Otley Road cycle lane is Stage Two
Otley Road Stage Two
But Stage Two has run into more serious problems.
It required removing verges from The Stray. The Stray Defence Association urged any removal must be consulted on and, as a result, council bosses have been in lengthy negotiations with the Duchy of Lancaster.
It means the second phase of the scheme is unlikely to go ahead anytime soon much to campaigners’ frustration.
But the route is not the only proposal to have been tabled to help boost cycling rates and cut traffic.
Impression of how Station Parade would look under pedestrianisation plans.
Station Parade
In March, the council secured £7.8 million for a “gateway” project on Station Parade which has to be spent within three years. This scheme aims to create a transport hub – connecting the bus and rail stations to the town centre. The plan means fewer cars and more space for cyclists and walkers.
After the difficulty of negotiating with different parties to deliver Otley Road though, the gateway scheme faces possibly tougher negotiations.
Much furore was caused after the gateway plans were unveiled a few years ago and recent bollards put up for social distancing have reignited this fierce debate among traders over the best way to survive the serious economic crisis Harrogate faces. Any reduction of on-street parking to create space for cycle lanes will face opposition from many retailers.
So council bosses will have to negotiate through this and, although a large amount of money has been secured, it’s not enough and extra funding is needed from both the district and borough councils. This might prove very hard to find in an age post coronavirus.
What do those in the cycle lobby think about the progress made on infrastructure projects? Tomorrow we will hear from those pushing for more cycle routes in Harrogate.
