Harrogate's longest-running controversy: North Yorkshire Council reaffirms its commitment to Gateway project

North Yorkshire Council’s largely Government-funded multi-million-pound public realm and sustainable transport initiative for the area immediately around Harrogate’s bus and railway stations has suffered a series of major setbacks and timeline revisions since the idea was first mooted in 2019.

But, despite being bruised and battered, the Harrogate Station Gateway project has not gone away.

There may have been radio silence since The Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal six months ago against an earlier High Court decision to over rule opponents of the scheme hailing mainly from Harrogate’s anxious business community.

But North Yorkshire Council this week confirmed to the Harrogate Advertiser this week that plans remain on course, utilising funds from the Transforming Cities Fund, a programme launched, originally, by the previous Tory government.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, Coun Malcolm Taylor, said: “Harrogate Station Gateway is designed to improve the area around Harrogate station, creating a safer, more attractive and accessible gateway to the town for residents, businesses and visitors, while supporting sustainable travel options and enhancing the public realm.

“The project remains an important investment in the town's future, helping to improve connectivity, support economic growth and create a more welcoming arrival experience."

It’s a different world now from seven years ago when the then North Yorkshire County Council’s Harrogate Congestion Study Public Engagement process showed the vast majority of the public taking part wanted to see sustainable solutions to the town’s traffic problems, not more roads.

Back in 2019, the council appeared to be in harmony with the town when it joined the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s bid for Government funding to tackle traffic in a way that would also tackle climate change.

But the longer the process went on, the more businesses in Harrogate started to worry about the practical implications of the project’s more radical, pro-pedestrian and cycling aspects.

Soon, an official campaign group against the much-fought over project was formed.

Steven Baines, a Harrogate business owner and spokesperson for the Get Away campaign, said: "Not only is there anger from the Harrogate business and trade community that this is the wrong scheme for the town but there is outrage at the way it was pushed through without adequate consultation."

Recent years have seen North Yorkshire Council drop the scheme’s more controversial initial ideas such as pedestrianising James Street or cutting general traffic lanes on Station Parade were dropped as public feedback turned negative.

The remaining core improvements in the Harrogate Station Gateway project are largely but not wholly cosmetic, including the redevelopment of One Arch and Station Square, new pedestrian paving, a short southbound cycle lane, an upgraded cycle parking, a new bus lane on Station Parade, and coordinated traffic signals.

The end result is now a scheme which attracts little strong support within Harrogate from any direction.

Pro cycling campaigners now say that what started out as a sustainable transport scheme has actually ended up as a scheme for motor vehicles.

Harrogate District Cycle Action said: "The main way that Station Gateway could have made Harrogate a better place to live was by reducing the dominance of motor vehicles - and the noise, danger and pollution that they cause - in the town centre, by reducing Station Parade to one lane.

"From a cycling point of view, most of the worthwhile elements have now been stripped out of the scheme."

Businesses in Harrogate are still no happier, either.

They believe the inevitable months of disruption resulting from even this truncated version of a project without lustre is not worth the price of the consequences on trade in challenging time.

North Yorkshire Council is warning that cancelling the £12 million Harrogate Station Gateway project would cause the town to lose millions in ring-fenced government funding, rather than the council losing its own local money.

Back in 2024, North Yorkshire Council’s then Executive Member for Highways and Transport, Coun Keane Duncan, said building work was set to start in the Autumn.

That date came and went and, for a time, the entire project looked in jeopardy.

But North Yorkshire Council this week confirmed to the Harrogate Advertiser this week that plans remain on course.

“Planning and preparatory work for the Harrogate Station Gateway project is continuing, with partners working through the final stages required ahead of construction,” said Coun Malcolm Taylor, .

“Further updates will be provided once the remaining approvals and processes have been completed and a confirmed programme for delivery is in place.”

Who would bet against a revival of the war of words in the coming months in what has become Harrogate's longest-running controversy?