'Foul stench' on Harrogate street is blamed on lost part of town's 19th century history
Harrogate residents say they are convinced that a foul stench on their street described as “like living next to an open sewer” is the fault of a derelict railway tunnel.
Householders living on Langcliffe Avenue, off St George's Road roundabout, say their lives are being made a misery by the horrible mystery odours.
One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Harrogate Advertiser: "For several weeks, a dreadful foul smell has plagued our street.
"The smell is worsening and is now intolerable.
“It is the equivalent of living next to an open sewer.
"Families cannot open their windows, sit in their gardens, or escape the constant stench.
"This is not a minor irritation, it's a serious environmental and public health issue."
Several residents of Langcliffe Avenue have already contacted the local authorities, so far with little satisfaction.
They are convinced the mystery smells are coming from the old Brunswick railway tunnel nearby.
Opened in 1848 as part of an expansion by the York and North Midland Railway which included the building of a terminus at Harrogate Brunswick, the tunnel was originally 415 yards long and closed in 1862.
What is left of it was last explored, officially, in 2008 when Harrogate Borough Council granted Subterranea Britannica permission to visit the tunnel.
Long-term residents recall investigations at Brunswick in the 1980s, when foul smells and sewage seepage were traced back to the same infrastructure.
At that time, it appeared there was a leak from a Yorkshire Water sewer into the Brunswick Tunnel.
The latest odour problem has already seen a visit by Yorkshire Water, though it is not believed that there are any sewers located in the tunnel, itself.
Residents are left bearing the brunt of an issue which no one in authority seems keen to address.
Talking to the Harrogate Advertiser, one resident said: "Despite contacting both Yorkshire Water and North Yorkshire Council, residents have received no effective support or information.
"The residents of Langcliffe Avenue East and the wider community deserve transparency, accountability, and a permanent solution to a problem that has clearly been left unresolved for decades."