Oatlands Drive and Wetherby Road Crossings Delayed Again
Crossings of Oatlands Drive and Wetherby Road for people using Slingsby Walk are to be delayed yet again, according to a report submitted in advance of a council meeting.
North Yorkshire Council (NYC) promised to build the crossings by 31st March 2024, but has not started work on them.
Now they are not even going to be built by 31st March 2025, but are to be shunted into the financial year 2025/26, i.e. a theoretical deadline of 31st March 2026.
Will NYC adhere to their new timetable? Who knows. On past record it is just as likely that they will move the project back yet again.
Consultation Has Taken the Whole of 2024
NYC will have spent the whole of 2024 on consultations – one in March/April, and after a mistake over Stray Land, a second consultation in June/July.
The council says it ‘paused’ design work from May to August; an application to make the Stray common land is put forward as their excuse. Apparently design work will now be completed by November 2024.
If it takes NYC a year to go through a consultation process, it’s no wonder the timetables of all its schemes slip endlessly.
Stray Defence Association Opposes Safe Crossings
It appears from para 5.3 of the report that the Stray Defence Association opposes these safe crossings.
‘Prior to commencing the consultation with residents, local highway officers met with the Stray Defence Association to brief them on the proposals and to advise them that the consultation was commencing.
Unfortunately they were not supportive of the proposals and expressed the view that the crossing updates were not needed, along with being opposed to Stray Land being enclosed for this purpose’.
The Stray Defence Association response appears in the comments published by NYC. This is part of it.
‘I am writing on behalf of the Stray Defence Association in Harrogate formally to object to the use of Stray land for the above mentioned crossings…
…On Oatlands Drive the suggested crossing would impact harshly on the ‘aspect’ of the Stray…Emerging from Oatlands Drive into the main body of the Stray the vista and expanse, the aspect of the Stray, opens up before you.
Such a visually ugly and prominently placed collection of surfaces, lights, signs, signals, colours etc etc would be both aesthetically displeasing and impinge greatly upon the Stray and its natural green and open aspect’.
St Aidan’s School, on the other hand were ‘broadly supportive of the proposals and were pleased that NYC were taking measures to improve the safety of active travel modes in proximity to the school’.
Schools exist to improve children’s lives – and of course children cannot drive – so it’s not surprising that St Aidan’s is in favour.
The Stray Defence Association has other purposes and ends, but it would be nice if they nevertheless had children’s best interests at heart.
Support for the Crossings
In the consultation, there was strong support for the crossings.
The Stray Land swap most respondents favoured was by the War Memorial off Wetherby Road. When this was removed from the options in the second consultation there were few responses, but land off Hookstone Drive was the preference of those who did respond.
Cost
The costs are expected to be:
- £115,000 for Oatlands Drive and
- £115,000 for Wetherby Road
Para 8.2.1 of the report says that the crossings have been shunted into the 2025/26 capital programme.
Example Comments in Support of the Crossings
Most respondents supported the crossings. This is one example of a comment in support.
‘I wanted to state my full support for this proposal that is long overdue.
Those crossing points have often worried me both as a motorist and a pedestrian/cyclist. I have felt for a long time that they are dangerous for all users of both the road and the pathways.
I am also very pleased that a 20mph zone is proposed for Oatlands Drive which makes it safer for all of us’.
This is another.
‘I would like to express my support for the proposed crossings of both Oatlands Drive and Wetherby Road.
Both of my children attend St Aidan’s School and as a resident of the Saints area of Harrogate I am acutely aware of the traffic in the area and congestion, especially around school times.
One of my biggest concerns is the speed of traffic in the area. Oatlands Drive is notorious for speeding, and the introduction of a raised crossing on the road will be very beneficial in slowing traffic and making it safer all round’.
Example Comments in Opposition to the Crossings
Opponents of the crossings are in a small minority. Some of them show extreme antipathy to anyone riding a bicycle.
‘Currently Slingsby Walk footpath is wide enough to take a mother with push-chair and walking toddler alongside, with just room for another careful walker to carefully overtake without damaging the turf of the Stray alongside.
A moving cyclist would be bound to damage our precious STRAY edge if mounted on a bicycle, so should be counted and behave as a pedestrian at all times.
Monopolization of this route by just one community section should not be allowed!
In conclusion, THIS SELFISH APPROPRIATION OF PART OF OUR TOWN’S HERITAGE MUST BE STOPPED…’
Other objections are based on a wish to prioritise motor vehicles to the detriment of people on foot or on bikes.
‘[The proposals] are a complete waste of precious local resources/funding…[that] would significantly worsen the already unacceptable traffic congestion in the Woodlands/Oatlands areas, particularly compounded by the proposed 20mph zone on Oatlands Drive…
There are currently more than adequate pelican crossings at strategic points on Wetherby Road and Oatlands Drive, and these principal arterial roads don’t need additional ones clogging up residents and commuters ease of travel even more’.
As a strategy, prioritising motor vehicles in order to reduce congestion is unlikely to work. If the alternatives to driving are made (more) unsafe and/or inconvenient, the motor vehicle will be all that’s left even for very short trips.
If everyone is trying to drive to the same places at the same time, congestion will inevitably get worse. Congestion is caused by too many motor vehicles, not too many crossings.
On the other hand, making the alternatives to driving clearly safe and highly attractive means more people will choose them. That is a logical strategy with the potential to reduce congestion.