Harrogate town centre strategy consultation
14th September 2015
Harrogate BC is running a consultation on a strategy and masterplan for the town centre, which has been developed by Peter Brett Associates. It began on 4th September, and runs until 16th October 2015.
Consideration is being given to how the town centre can continue to prosper in the light of challenges from online shopping and out-of-town retail parks. The objective of the strategy and masterplan is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the town centre, and to develop a vision and design for the future.
Harrogate town centre strategy: online consultation
The online consultation involves a cumbersome and non-user-friendly procedure. If you haven't already done so, you have to register, giving your name, address, and other details; otherwise, you can just log in. There are then a number of separate pdf documents which you can download and read, relating to parts 1 to 6 of the strategy and masterplan.
(Warning: when I tried to make comments in more than one box at one time, I got an internal error message, and lost the finely-crafted arguments I had made, which was a frustrating waste of time. The solution I found was to enter a comment in only one comment box at a time).
Part 3 of Harrogate Town Centre Strategy
There's a 'vision' for Harrogate town centre in part 3, which is that by 2025, it will be a leading UK destination for shopping, leisure, and business tourism, with a distinctive environment with:
- a public realm of an outstanding quality
- a special blend of retail and leisure uses
- unique facilities for conferences and events
- integrated and sustainable transport infrastructure
Part 4 of Harrogate Town Centre Strategy
The town centre strategy in part 4 includes a plan to make Harrogate a more distinctive place to shop and relax, and this will be done in part by pedestrianising James St and Princes St, to 'reduce visual clutter and create a high quality street scene that complements the existing architecture.'
There's also to be a new tiered performance space at Prospect Gardens. As part of Harrogate's efforts to recover and promote its spa town heritage, there could be a spa-themed hotel at Crescent Gardens, which would be in the council's old offices in this location (see details in part 5c of the strategy).
Part 4 also mentions a possible comprehensive redevelopment of Harrogate's railway and bus station, which currently 'detract from the overall quality of the town centre environment'.
Under the heading 'Promoting Sustainable Transport' (p24), the draft strategy mentions that '[t]he popularity of Harrogate as a visitor destination, and the significant constraints on any re-routing of the A61, mean that the impacts of traffic and congestion on the town centre are difficult to manage. However, measures to promote sustainable transport will be incorporated throughout the masterplan's projects to help reduce demand for travel by car and to encourage a modal shift to walking, cycling and the use of public transport. This will reduce the impacts of car-borne traffic and help to manage future demand for parking within the town centre.'
It mentions this cycle infrastructure project: 'Improved cycle infrastructure delivered through public realm schemes, new development, and improvements around the railway station including a new cycle hub within the redeveloped Transport Hub.'
Part 5b of Harrogate Town Centre Strategy
Part 5b contains more details of the specific proposals for the Cenotaph and Prospect Gardens (including closing Cambridge Crescent to traffic), Station Square, James St & Princes St, Princes Square, Oxford and Cambridge Streets, and Parliament St & Cheltenham Parade.
Part 5d of Harrogate Town Centre Strategy
Part 5d deals with transport and movement projects. It repeats much of the information from other sections, but has the advantage of drawing together the ideas for walking and cycling. It identifies that some on-street car parking will be lost, but not for the mobility-impaired, and the extra space will be to the benefit of pedestrians and the appearance of the town centre.
Harrogate town centre strategy: make a comment
There'll probably be comments from people who are fearful of losing car parking spaces, so it is worth speaking up if you value space for people on foot and on bikes, and supporting the strategy. The deadline for commenting is 16th October 2015.
The council's planning policy team will be at St Peter's church on Saturday 26th September 2015, 10am to 3pm; the church will also have an unmanned exhibition fom 22nd September to 4th October 2015.