Harrogate residents weigh in on Stray land swap as Otley Road cycle path moves step forward
Harrogate residents have had their say on how to overcome historic Stray bylaws that have caused long delays for the Otley Road cycle path project.
The town first secured more than £3million of government cash to build the two-way cycle path in 2017 but Harrogate Borough Council has since struggled to reach a key agreement with the Duchy of Lancaster, the ancient body responsible for managing the Stray.
Construction of the cycle route means that some grass verges at the parkland have to be removed and as part of the Stray Act a suitable plot of nearby land must be offered to the Duchy in exchange.
The council identified three potential plots near Wetherby Road, Arthurs Avenue and St James Drive, and through a public consultation residents have now weighed in with their overwhelming support for the Wetherby Road land.
The responses will go before the borough council's general purposes committee this week in what marks a small step forward for the troubled project which has also been hit by delays during drawn out discussions with worried residents and works from utility companies on the main road.
Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, welcomed the progress and said construction could start after more utility works scheduled for next month are completed.
He said: "Once the Duchy of Lancaster agrees to the exchange, we take a significant step forward in making a start on the off-road Otley Road cycle paths.
"We also await the conclusion of Northern Powergrid's work to relocate their equipment near to the Harlow Moor Road junction in order that we can start the junction improvement scheme, which, like the cycle paths, is part of the £4.6m NPIF project to improve transport infrastructure in the west of Harrogate.
"Owing to a delay in the completion of works by Yorkshire Water, the commencement of Northern Powergrid's relocation of their equipment has been rescheduled for the second week of February.
"Once that has finished, construction of phase one of the cycle path between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road can finally get underway."
In the consultation responses, 81% agreed with the council’s preferred option of land at Wetherby Road next to the war memorial.
Residents were also asked whether they agreed with the council’s plan to amend the Stray bylaws to allow cycling on the route, with 54% strongly agreeing and 36% strongly disagreeing.
Kevin Douglas, chairman of Harrogate District Cycle Action, also welcomed the progress on the project but said it could encounter more hurdles involving protected Stray land down the line.
"We are very much supportive of the Wetherby Road site and quite pleased the land issues are actually now getting resolved," he said.
"We believe the whole of the cycle route could have been looked at in more detail to resolve these issues before now and it's only likely these will be encountered again during the next stages."
By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter