Letter: Western Route - Consult on the route choice now

I write as a resident living on Brackenthwaite Lane whose property will be close to the western red route option, should it be chosen - a one in four chance.
A map showing the Harrogate Relief Road potential options © Crown copyright 2016 Media 051/16A map showing the Harrogate Relief Road potential options © Crown copyright 2016 Media 051/16
A map showing the Harrogate Relief Road potential options © Crown copyright 2016 Media 051/16

I am grateful that you ran the article on North Yorkshire County Council’s plan to build a “relief road” (their strategic plan calls it a ring road) for traffic using the roads in and around Harrogate as there is a real need to get a debate going and ensuring that the public/interested parties are consulted over the choice of route.

Dan Windham’s article states in his opening headlines “that consultations are underway”, however this is misleading as I am not aware that North Yorkshire County Council has yet agreed to any consultations on the choice of route. Their commitment is part of their Local Transport Plan 2016-2045 (ref LTP 4) approved in February 2016.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Whilst the plan went out for consultation prior to approval there was no debate on the route options as they were not contained in the Draft Plan.

This lack of consultation continues as their briefing paper 33048, published in November and updated on the November 14, clearly states that “The county council’s executive, in consultation with the steering group and county committee for the Harrogate area, will make the final decision on which, if any, relief road option should be adopted as a preferred route”.

I would like NYCC to recognise that it needs to consult on the choice of route now as well as on the development of the preferred route later.

Please keep up the good work and give more “air”, or do I mean “space”, to this issue as there appears to be little opportunity for our “voices” to be heard.

Robert Le Mare

Brackenthwaite Lane,

Harrogate