Construction for controversial £11.2 million Harrogate Station Gateway project set ‘to begin in Autumn’

In an update to councillors published yesterday (February 14), Councillor Keane Duncan, who is in charge of transport at the Conservative-run authority, said building work is set to start in Autumn pending approval from government and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

The council will also have to win planning permission for changes it wants to make before work can begin.

This will likely to be decided by councillors on Harrogate and Knaresborough’s planning committee.

If the council’s flagship active travel scheme for Harrogate does go ahead it will be drastically scaled back from the original vision.

This was due to a legal challenge from Harrogate-based property firm Hornbeam Park Developments, which owns several commercial properties in the town including on James Street which was set to be part-pedestrianised under the plans but has now been dropped.

The Gateway proposals now only include a redeveloped One Arch and Station Square, better traffic signals, a bus lane, a southbound cycle lane on Station Parade, new paving for pedestrians and cycling parking at Harrogate Station.

Construction on the county’s other two gateway schemes in Selby and Skipton is also set to begin later this year.

Councillor Duncan said: “We continue to make progress on work on transformative Gateway schemes to improve access to three of North Yorkshire’s rail stations.

"Full Business Cases have been submitted to West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Department for Transport for all schemes.

"Subject to approvals, work is expected to commence in Harrogate and Selby in Autumn.

"Work in Skipton is likely to commence on site slightly earlier, with a summer start anticipated.”

At a meeting earlier this month, the Local Democracy Reporting Service asked council leader Carl Les why the authority had failed to win support for the original version of the gateway scheme in Harrogate.

Councillor Les said: “The Station Gateway is a classic example of putting forward a scheme and finding two distinct lobbies in Harrogate where there are well-educated people who know how to put a coherent argument forward.

“Its very clear a lot of people wanted a scheme that’s much more pedestrian and cycle-friendly, other people wanted it to be more business-friendly.

"We’ve tried to strike a balance, whether we’ve got it right, only time will tell.”