Harrogate Stray repairs - the issue of drainage riles a concerned reader

That's the question a reader has been putting to the Harrogate Advertiser.

Harrogate Borough Council has said it is keen to not only make the Stray look like its old self after the damage caused by the UCI cycling championships combined with one of the wettest autumns on record, but sort out long-term drainage problems, too.

As Glendale Services, an award-winning grounds maintenance contractor, got on this week with rotovating and spraying the grass and preparing West Park for re-seeding, the reader got in touch to say work to improve drainage was only taking place at the Prince of Wales roundabout end and that was not the only problem spot.

The reader said past experience has shown, when there is a prolonged period of really wet weather, flooding occurs not only at the Prince of Wales site on the Stray but also at the corner of Beech Grove and West Park.

Speaking to the Harrogate Advertiser, the council confirmed it was currently only addressing drainage at the Prince of Wales end.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council said: "There isn’t drainage works taking place at the Beech Grove junction as there is drainage already there.

"The problem is that once all the leaves fall the drains get blocked and causes large puddles. These will be cleared at a later date."

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Other work in the area will consist of improvements to West Park Stray paths, verges, benches and drainage.

The total budget for the above work ismore than £80,000, though the councils says £65,385 of this is not new money and had already been set aside.

Repair work on The Stray: Costs (courtesy of Harrogate Borough Council)

£38,105 for repairs to grass on West Park Stray (UCI cycling event organisers Yorkshire 2019 have contributed £35,500);

£65,385* for pavement, footpaths, fencing, bedding and verge repairs, reinstatement of bins and benches;

£20,156 to fix longstanding drainage issues;

£6,325 project management and delivery costs.

*Costs not new - already covered by existing programmes of works that were held off until after the UCI event.

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