County Council explains new delay to Harrogate Gateway project after receiving ‘high number of consultation responses’

Coun Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways, said the council’s hopes the results would be revealed before Christmas had been dashed by the "high volume of responses" over the plans to bring more cycling and pedestrianisation to Harrogate town centre.

The intention now was to so early in 2023, to be followed, if given the go-ahead, by final discussions on the fiercely debated and much-delayed sustainable transport initiative.

As a result of all this, construction work, which it had been hoped, would start during the current winter, will now be pushed back until the final quarter of 2023.“The most recent consultation attracted more than 2,000 responses, " said Coun Keane, "that's almost twice the number from previous consultations, as well as more than 5,000 individual comments.

“We are eager to share the findings of the consultation as soon as possible, but given the high level of interest in this vital scheme and the high volume of responses and comments, it is essential we complete a thorough evaluation.

"Once full evaluation of the responses is completed, we will make it public early in the New Year.

“Subject to final approvals, it is anticipated construction will begin late in 2023.”

The third consultation on Gateway was held for five weeks during the summer after one of Harrogate's leading property companies signalled it was considering the idea of submitting a judicial review of the entire project.At each stage of the process, North Yorkshire County Council has pledged its commitment to the project, despite a series of delays created at least partly by the need to consult on the plans.

As the saga had dragged on, the divide in public opinion in Harrogate has deepened, with opponents of plans for cycling and pedestrianisation in the Station Parade area of town gaining ground.

“The responses to the consultation show opinion is finely balanced," admitted Coun Keane.

"We are now finalising consideration of any design iteration following the feedback.

"Following publication of the results, we will ask Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors for views on their support for a scheme that could be transformational for the town, and whether they want it to go ahead."

The authority’s original stated aim was to start construction early next year with completion scheduled for winter 2023/24.

Before launching its third consultation exercise on the Harrogate Gateway project, funded largely by the Government, the county council had stressed that the survey was not about revisiting the principle of key parts of the project – including reducing Station Parade to one-lane traffic and a part-time pedestrianisation of James Street – but instead would seek to gather public views on final designs and traffic impacts.

Opponents, including a range of town centre businesses, claim Gateway would make traffic congestion worse in the area to the detriment of football.

There has been speculation the wrangle over the project may mean it simply runs out of time.

A Department for Transport spokesman confirmed in July it expected the project to be delivered by an extended deadline of March 2024.

Any further delays would have to be “reassessed by a panel on a case-by-case basis”.