Big machinery sent in to repair The Stray at West Park in Harrogate

Finally, the big machinery has been sent onto the Stray at West Park to start the process of putting the shine back into Harrogate's grassy jewel in the crown.
Repair work starting on The Stray in Harrogate today. (Picture Gerard Binks)Repair work starting on The Stray in Harrogate today. (Picture Gerard Binks)
Repair work starting on The Stray in Harrogate today. (Picture Gerard Binks)

The wet winter may have delayed hopes of the speedy return to its former glory of the mud-ravaged grassland but Harrovate Borough Council finally sent in the big boys today, Tuesday.

Under fire for allowing the UCI cycling event to come to Harrogate in the first place which damaged the West Park Stray - and for the speed of the restoration work - Glendale Services, an award-winning grounds maintenance contractor, has already started rotovating and spraying the grass, the first phase of preparing West Park for seeding at the end of this month.

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It's all part of the council's restoration plan with a budget of more than £38,000 for grass repairs alone, though UCI cycling event organisers Yorkshire 2019 have contributed £35,500 of this.

Other work in the area will consist of improvements to West Park Stray paths, verges, benches and drainage with a budget of more than £80,000, though the councils says £65,385 of this is not new money and had already been set aside.

The council’s leader Coun Richard Cooper said: “If things go to plan we should see our brilliant Stray better than it has ever been by September.

“Because we get everything done at once, we have also decided to take the opportunity to address the historic drainage issues at the corner of Otley Road and West Park.”

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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.

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

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