New consultation on Harrogate’s plans for more cycle paths to be launched by county council

Groups including Harrogate District Cycle Action have been highlighting what they claim is a lack of substantial progress by North Yorkshire County Council in its efforts to bring the first in a series of sustainable transport measures to Harrogate.

They also claimed the new consultation on Active Travel schemes, which are being funded largely by the Government, should have been launched earlier.

But the county council says it is following its schedule and is now asking residents and people who travel in Harrogate to suggest what improvements could be made to the area around Oatlands Drive.

The latter had looked set for a new cycle path before a wave of protests by local residents on the possible negative impact on the area’s traffic congestion.

The council is also consulting on phase two of Otley Road cycle route, its links with Beech Grove and the town centre ahead of construction.

It is hoped that the proposed schemes will encourage both residents and visitors to opt for walking and cycling and help tackle traffic congestion in the town.

Both schemes were developed as a result of the county council’s transport policies, the development of the Local Plan and following the Harrogate and Knaresborough congestion study in 2019.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways, Coun Keane Duncan, said: “The public engagement demonstrates our commitment to ensuring local people are involved in the design process from the outset.

"Once completed, we will assess public responses along with the traffic data to develop potential options.

"We hope to be able to present these by the end of the year so they will be ready when further funding becomes available.”

Over the last five years the county council has secured more than £15million in active travel funding to deliver sustainable transport projects in the Harrogate district.

This includes the National Productivity Fund to deliver a package of safety improvements along the Otley Road corridor, and the Transforming Cities Fund aimed at enhancing sustainable transport links in Harrogate town centre.

A new interactive map has been created which provides an overview of active travel projects in Harrogate and how they link together.

To view the map, visit the county council’s website at www.northyorks.gov.uk/harrogate-active-travel-projects

As part of the second tranche of the Government’s Active Travel Fund, the county council received £200,000 to engage with residents and businesses in locations across the county, including around Oatlands Drive to look to deliver improvements to walking and cycling.

However, issues were raised during the public consultation in spring and it was decided to remove the scheme from the programme to investigate further.

The funding is, therefore, being used to gather information on Oatlands Drive, including undertaking an exercise to collect views from people who live and work in that area.

In addition, the county council is undertaking a traffic survey looking at parking and how people choose to travel.

It will also capture the volume and speed of traffic and the type of vehicles in use.

Coun Keane Duncan, said: “We are looking at options for active travel and traffic calming improvements in the Oatlands area as part of our aim to encourage cycling and walking, easing congestion and improving air quality in Harrogate.

“Previous consultations about the Oatlands area have generated a lot of comments, so we have made a commitment to carry out a more detailed study to assess possible improvements there."

Further public engagement on phase two of Otley Road cycle route, its links with Beech Grove and the town centre will run alongside that of Oatlands Drive, focusing on the final designs.

Three options for the route are being considered and will be presented to residents.

A meet the designer event will also be held for local stakeholder groups and residents, allowing them the opportunity to discuss the options in further detail.

The results will be considered in November with construction hoping to begin in summer 2023.

Coun Duncan added: “There are pros and cons for all of the proposed designs which is why we need to engage with local residents and stakeholders.

“It’s important to consider the possibility of conflict between road users, including cyclists and pedestrians, as well as the impact on properties along the route and parking.

"We would urge everybody to have their say and help us to shape the final designs.”

But there has been frustration from some at setbacks for sustainable transport projects in the Harrogate district.

Earlier this year the town’s £11.2 million Gateway project was hit by a possible legal threat.

Hornbeam Park Developments made a proposed claim for a judicial review against the council over their claims that the county council “had failed to take into account” the feedback of a previous survey.

And plans for a new 7km cycle way in Knaresborough and other active travel improvements in Ripon were shelved altogether in the summer when the council’s bid for £1.5 million in funding was rejected by the Government.

The new public consultation will launch this coming Monday, October 24 and run until November 28.

It will be listed on the county council’s website at www.northyorks.gov.uk/current-consultations

Letters to residents in the vicinity of the scheme will be delivered by the county council next week.