North Yorkshire Executive Approves Harrogate Station Gateway
North Yorkshire Council (NYC) Executive approved Harrogate Station Gateway at a meeting yesterday.
It means a Full Business Case can be submitted, which will enable the council to draw down the funding and start work on the project this Winter. It will also mean that the necessary Traffic Regulation Orders can be made.
Councillor Keane Duncan
At the meeting, Executive Member for Transport Keane Duncan introduced the subject. He called Station Gateway a landmark £11.2 million investment, aiming to rejuvenate the town centre, and focused on sustainable transport.
Cllr Duncan noted that he had recently received a 2,000 name petition against the scheme. He also pointed to the debate at the recent Local Area council meeting, which gave the project the green light.
Councillor Pat Marsh
Councillor Marsh has persistently opposed Station Gateway, and she spoke against it at the meeting. She claimed that the scheme starts nowhere, goes nowhere, and has a massive impact on the town centre.
Part of her argument was the idea that reducing Station Parade to one lane would increase idling and worsen air quality. It is hard to see what the end game is, in that case. According to that logic, we should allocate all the space to cars and none to other forms of transport, and the result will be much better air quality. That seems odd.
Air quality campaigner is pro-traffic and, in practice, anti-active travel.
Responding, Cllr Duncan said that he and a team of officers met with Active Travel England last month to discuss how the Station Gateway active travel infrastructure can link up to other routes in future.
Councillor Peter Lacey
Cllr Lacey said it was important to listen to concerns and weigh the evidence underpinning these views.
He wants a meeting to be arranged with Granville Road residents, and proactive reporting to the Local Area Committee of Councillors rather than just telling the committee what has happened afterwards.
He also said that the impacts of the scheme need to be monitored, and stakeholders should be involved in deciding what should be monitored and how the monitoring should be carried out.
Councillor Chris Aldred
Cllr Aldred said there has been hyperbole and misinformation about the scheme.
Unfortunately, he is still saying that the cycle infrastructure should be on East Parade not Station Parade. This would have the effect of marginalising cycling, and in any case there are space constraints on East Parade.
His main reason for supporting the scheme is the improvement of One Arch. This is the highest area of crime in North Yorkshire.
Area Committee Councillors want to have a meaningful, hands-on role in the scheme.
Cllr Duncan said that he would offer a workshop with the contractor. He also said the NYC is comfortable that it can deliver the scheme within the budget, and negotiations with the DfT about spending timelines are going well. He can provide a detailed response on that to Cllr Aldred.
Councillor Sam Gibbs
Cllr Gibbs said we need to get on and deliver the scheme now. It would be a mistake to do nothing.
Councillor Michael Harrison
Cllr Harrison said that the Area Committee should have a role, but in approving the scheme the three main elements are locked in. They are:
- reducing Station Parade to one lane
- cycle tracks on Station Parade
- part-pedestrianisation of James Street
Cllr Duncan agreed that the focus should switch from the details of the scheme to the delivery of the scheme.
Vote
The Executive voted unanimously to approve the resolution to go ahead with Station Gateway.