Approval of Harrogate's £10.9m Gateway welcomed by campaigners as business leaders react with dismay

The approval of Harrogate's £10.9m Gateway project has been welcomed by campaigners as a positive step to tackle the town's congestion woes - whilst business leaders have reacted with dismay.
This is how the Odeon cinema roundabout will be upgraded with greater priority for pedestrians and cyclists.This is how the Odeon cinema roundabout will be upgraded with greater priority for pedestrians and cyclists.
This is how the Odeon cinema roundabout will be upgraded with greater priority for pedestrians and cyclists.

After months of planning and debate, the major plans to create a more attractive and accessible town centre were approved by North Yorkshire County Council's executive on Tuesday ahead of a final business case being submitted.

The decision was made in the face of opposition from some business leaders and residents who called for the project to be halted over concerns of the impact on traffic and trade.

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But the decision has been celebrated by others including Zero Carbon Harrogate which said the project was a necessary step to combat climate change.

The campaign group's chair Jemima Parker said: "If we are to take seriously responding to our changing climate we need good pedestrian and public transport infrastructure so that we can all reduce our car miles and car ownership.

"There are many examples of town centres in the UK thriving because traffic has been reduced.

"We know change can be hard to accept, but this scheme looks set to make the town centre a pleasanter place to shop and a more attractive visitor location."

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Kevin Douglas, chairman of Harroagte District Cycle Action, also welcomed the approval and said it was key that the Gateway links up with other projects to create a more cycle and pedestrian friendly town.

He said: "We are pleased the council has agreed to go ahead with the Gateway and although there is some way to go this is a really good first step.

"The scheme is going to make access into the town centre safer and better, but how it links to other areas is key.

"We need to deliver the Otley Road cycle path, Victoria Avenue improvements and all the other projects which are ongoing."

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The Gateway includes reducing Station Parade to one-lane traffic to make way for a cycle lane, as well as a part-time pedestrianisation of James Street.

There are also improvements to Station Square and the One Arch underpass, upgrades to the Odeon cinema roundabout to give greater priority for pedestrians and cyclists, and changes to the layouts of several other streets.

Officials at North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council have continually insisted that businesses, cyclists, pedestrians and public transport users alike will see the benefits once the project is completed.

However, some business leaders remain unconvinced.

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Speaking after Tuesday's decision, Martin Gerrard, president of Harrogate Chamber of Commerce, said: “The vote has come as no surprise as nobody listens to good arguments anymore.

"The county council has missed an opportunity to placate and instead they have followed a process, which they hide behind to negate reasonable argument.

“What this has done is add further importance to Harrogate being represented properly going forward by officers that put the town first and do not give in so easily to other pressures.

”We, like North Yorkshire County Council, want Harrogate to benefit from investment, but not without consideration of all interested parties.”

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David Simister, CEO of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, also repeated claims that businesses have been "totally ignored" as he raised concerns over how quickly the project can be delivered.

Construction was due to start in spring, but the county council has now indicated this could be later in the year. It also suggested works could continue into 2024 - much longer than the original target completion date of March 2023.

Mr Simister said: “Town centre businesses continue to suffer from the effects of Covid, and from late spring will now have to endure significant disruption to deliver this project.

“Harrogate has a unique charm, and that’s the magnet that draws visitors from all over the country to it.

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"However, I fear what is being proposed has the danger of making this wonderful spa town indistinguishable from any other town or city in the UK.”

A final business case will now be submitted to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority which is administering the funds from the government's Transforming Cities Fund.

Similar projects are being run in Skipton and Selby at a total cost of £42m.

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter