Harrogate residents have labelled as “utter madness” plans to create a fourth entrance within a 100 yard stretch of road as their neighbourhood enters the sixth year of house building.

Members of Kingsley Ward Action Group, which was formed by frustrated residents in 2020, have warned from the beginning that allowing wave after wave of hundreds of new houses in the Kingsley Road and the interconnected Bogs Lane area would increase new traffic congestion.

Now they claim the addition of new access points to a variety of new housing estates built by different developers in an area of narrow roads and tight turns is adding to the dangers for drivers.

They say they are seeing a rise in road accidents as construction enters it sixth year and the new estates are shoe-horned one at a time into the existing “inadequate” road system.

Harrogate's Kingsley Ward Action Group says "the level of traffic using Bogs Lane and Kingsley Road to avoid the nose to tail congestion on Knaresborough Road is now at an all time high." (Picture contributed)

placeholder image — Harrogate's Kingsley Ward Action Group says "the level of traffic using Bogs Lane and Kingsley Road to avoid the nose to tail congestion on Knaresborough Road is now at an all time high." (Picture contributed)

A new flashpoint, they claim, is potentially about to develop as a result of a Reserved Matters issue for 30 new homes at Kingsley Farm which previously received outline planning permission from councillors.

Gary Tremble of Kingsley Ward Action Group said: “The original plan had access on Hawthorn Avenue but this was successfully quashed by Stonebridge residents stating that this would be dangerous and detrimental to their quality of life

"Adding a fourth entrance within a 100 yard section next to a road previously closed for 18 months due it being deemed so dangerous is utter madness.

"The level of traffic using Bogs Lane and Kingsley Road to avoid the nose to tail congestion on Knaresborough Road is now at an all time high with no sign of it reducing

"The Kingsley Road/Bogs Lane rat run is becoming increasingly more congested and dangerous as the houses become occupied.

"Just recently there were three cars written off in accidents in a 24-hour period which makes six at least since housing developments began.

"We have to accept that the Kingsley Quarters application was passed but what we don’t have to accept is the proposed dangerous site entrance position which was not even on the original application."

Harrogate may be awash in housing developments as a result of the national housing crisis but few areas have gone through the sort of long-term disruption seen in the Kingsley Road/Bogs Lane area.

An additional problem for local residents lies in the fact that almost all of their many engagements with a planning system crafted by national government have failed to produce a result that reflects their views or, in their opinion, helps much.

At all times, the various housing developers and North Yorkshire Council have been seen to tick the boxes correctly in accordance with the rules.

North Yorkshire Council’s highways authority is aware of the concerns and has previously deployed traffic engineers and introduced some traffic calming measures.

But Kingsley Ward Action Group argues none of this has been sufficient to ensure safety on local roads or deal with the problem of speeding drivers.

In particular, it says a general 20mph speed limit is needed in their area, as well as Vehicle Activated Road Signs (VARS) to show what speeds some motorists are doing.

The council has made it clear that it can only consider installing Speed Limit Reminder Signs (VAS) on the highway, rather than VARS, after a decision in 2019.