Outcome of Harrogate Station Gateway 3rd Consultation
The results of the 3rd consultation on Harrogate Station Gateway have finally been announced. The Outcome Report shows that support for the project is growing, with opinion now evenly split.
When asked ‘Overall, how do you feel about the latest plans to improve the Harrogate Station Gateway area?’ the answer was:
- 45% positive/very positive
- 46% negative/very negative
- 9% neutral
In the 2nd consultation only 39% felt positive about the scheme, with 56% negative, so opinion has shifted in favour of Harrogate Station Gateway.
It is also important to note that consultations are not referendums.
Responses to the 3rd Consultation
The survey was split into these 4 sections:
- Travel Habits
- Improvement of Public Spaces
- Highway designs
- About you
These are the responses to some of the key questions.
Usual Travel Mode(s) to Harrogate Town Centre
Usual travel modes to the town centre of respondents were:
- bus 490
- car 1,510
- walking 1,069
- cycling 458
It’s worth noting that if you add the walkers and cyclists together, they come to 1,527, which is slightly more than the car people.
Designs for Public Spaces
Views on the designs for public spaces were:
- 51% positive/very positive
- 26% negative/very negative
- 23% neutral/I don’t know
Balancing the Needs of All Road Users
The survey asked how successful the highways designs are in balancing the needs of all road users. The answers were:
- 39% successful/very successful
- 46% unsuccessful/very unsuccessful
- 15% neutral/I don’t know
These are some of the concerns and issues raised:
- concerns about worsening congestion (326 comments)
- cycling priority is not needed (122)
- prioritise motorists more (21)
I suspect that at least 121 of the 122 ‘cycling priority is not needed’ people have never attempted to ride a bike on Station Parade. In any case, it’s not priority that is proposed, but dedicated cycle facilities.
Also, I have to laugh at the ‘prioritise motorists more’ comments. Motor vehicles couldn’t be prioritised any more than they are at present. I guess any levelling of the playing field feels like oppression to some.
A debate about balancing the needs of all road users needs have as its starting point the fact that we do not currently have any semblance of balance. For example, if you drive into town you won’t have your physical safety put in danger; if you cycle, you will.
There were positive remarks in response to the balance question too, including the idea that the designs will lead to behaviour change/mode shift (117 comments).
Effect of the active travel infrastructure on your trips into town
The survey asked how the walking and cycling infrastructure would affect respondents personally. Here, the responses were positive:
- 41% positive
- 37% negative
- 22% no change/don’t know
Again, some people made positive comments about the effect of the changes on active travel.
Likely Impact on Businesses
The survey refers to evidence that walking and cycling have a positive impact on business, and asks respondents about the likely impact. The answers were:
- 41% positive/very positive
- 40% negative/very negative
- 19% neutral/I don’t know
In the comments, the number of people concerned shoppers will shop less or elsewhere (184) was exactly equal to the number who think people will visit more often and stay longer in town (184).
Encouraging Sustainable Modes
The survey asked the extent to which the proposals will encourage people to use sustainable modes of transport, which is after the whole objective of the Harrogate Station Gateway project. The responses were overwhelmingly positive.
Overall
These are the overall feelings about the project, as mentioned at the top of this article.
Age of Respondents
Finally on the survey responses, it’s worth noting that most people who filled it out were (like me) relatively old.
The voices that are (largely) missing are those of younger people who:
- may not be old enough to drive and
- will suffer most as a result of climate breakdown
Increasing Number of Responses to the Successive Consultations
1st Consultation
The 1st consultation took place in March/April 2021. There were 1,101 responses, and the support was as follows:
- 49% in favour of the one-lane option
- 27% in favour of the two-lane option and
- 24% against both
2nd Consultation
The 2nd consultation took place in November/December 2021. There were 1,320 responses, which broke down as follows:
- 39% felt positive the scheme overall
- 56% felt negative about the scheme overall
3rd Consultation
The 3rd consultation took place from 20th July to 23rd August 2022, and it has taken nearly 5 months to publish the results.
There were 2,044 responses, which broke down as follows:
- 45% felt positive about the scheme overall
- 46% felt negative about the scheme overall
Next Steps
According to the consultation page (and other sources) these are the next steps:
- 20th January 2023 – findings presented to the NYCC BES Executive, to approve next steps
- February 2023 – publication of necessary Traffic Regulation Orders
- 5th May 2023 (10am) – project to be considered by NYCC Harrogate & Knaresborough Area Committee
- May 2023 – NYCC Executive to take a decision on whether to submit a full business case to West Yorkshire Combined Authority, so that the funding can be released
- November 2023 – construction to start