Cycling and walking plans ‘not a top priority’ for county council, says Harrogate campaign group

Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said transport officials have found more time for infrastructure upgrades for cars than active travel.

His comments come after North Yorkshire County Council announced it is preparing to launch a consultation on plans for Oatlands Drive and phase two of the Otley Road cycle path which now won’t be built until at least next summer.

Mr Douglas said the latest delays were “incredibly frustrating” and that it is now “vital” that progress is made.

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

He said: “Unfortunately we know the priorities tend to be on issues around car transport – and that can be seen in the time it has taken to get these active travel schemes moving.

“Some of the first consultations on these schemes were held in January 2019 and yet here we are still doing the same thing now.

“The most disappointing thing of course is the latest on the Otley Road cycle path. There are no firm dates and it just keeps flipping away from us.

“But I’m not surprised as vague deadlines seem to be the order of the day.”

This coming Monday will see the launch of the long-awaited consultation on new proposals for Oatlands Drive after original plans for a one-way traffic system were scrapped after a backlash from residents.

This came after government funding for the scheme was awarded in November 2020.

But the delays for the Otley Road cycle path stretch back much further after the project first secured cash in 2017.

Five years on, the first phase of the route has yet to be completed as some sections need to be rebuilt, whilst final designs for phase two have not been revealed.

New start date for work on next phase of Harrogate's troubled Otley Road cycle path set to be revealed

Councillor Keane Duncan, executive member for highways at the county council, said three design options are being considered for the second phase and that the consultation results will be presented in November.

He said: “The public engagement demonstrates our commitment to ensuring local people are involved in the design process from the outset.

“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.”

Councillor Duncan added: “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.

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

The first phase of the Otley Road cycle path opened at the start of this year, but some sections are to be rebuilt following safety complaints. This includes the junction with Harlow Moor Road, although the county council has yet to purchase a plot of land to make the junction bigger.

Under other active travel projects, plans for a 7km cycleway in Knaresborough and other improvements in Ripon were shelved altogether in the summer when a bid for £1.5 million in government cash was rejected.

Consultations on final designs for cycling and walking improvements on Harrogate’s Victoria Avenue and the A59 near Knaresborough have also been pushed back until at least the New Year.

And there have been further setbacks for Harroagte’s Gateway project which has been hit by a legal threat.

This sparked a third consultation on the £11.2 million project and over 2,000 responses were received in summer ahead of a pending decision from the county council on whether to submit a final business case for funding.