This is the latest update on Stray repairs work in Harrogate

But signs of some improvement to the state of the precious grassland can be detected now the wet weather has ended.

If you have walked to West Park recently, it's impossible not to notice a difference already - there are some green shoots of recovery as life stirs on the decimated open parkland and Spring start to work a little of its natural magic.

Equally clear is the simple fact that a lot still needs to be done to restore the West Park Stray as a whole if it is to look as good as it once did before the controversial world cycling event arrived in Harrogate.

But this week saw some concrete signs of what is expected to be significant progress on making good the battered and spartan Stray at West Park.

The wettest autumn and winter for decades may have dented hopes of the necessary repairs being a speedy job at the site but contractors’ machinery did finally arrived on site on Tuesday.

Harrogate Borough Council says work on improving drainage should be completed by next week, enabling grass restoration work to begin in earnest.

Under fire for allowing the UCI cycling event to come to Harrogate which damaged the West Park Stray - and for the speed of the restoration work - Harrogate Borough Council is now moving ahead with a full restoration programme.

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.

Even once all the Stray repairs are completed, the Glendale Services will continue to monitor the site for a matter of weeks before formally handing it back to the council.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said: “We hope to have drainage work completed by early next week so that grass restoration work can start next week.

“This will involved rolling, sub-soiling and further harrowing in preparation of seeding. Once all the work is completed, Glendale Services will continue to maintain and monitor the site for the first few months before handing it back to the council.”

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Still the controversy is unlikely to go away any time soon, especially over the cost of the restoration.

The figures released by the council show a budget of more than £38,000 for grass repairs alone, though UCI cycling event organisers Yorkshire 2019 have contributed £35,500 of this.

Chris Pilling, chairman of Yorkshire 2019, said: “The impact of the weather was beyond everyone’s expectations and as the company now formally closes, we are pleased to make a significant financial contribution to help the council restore the Stray.”

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

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