Key vote next week on Harrogate Gateway project will determine how traffic will look in town centre for years to come

Members of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee will be asked to endorse the Station Gateway proposal at Harrogate and Knaresborough’s area constituency meeting next Friday, May 5.

The meeting will also update the committee and gather views on the necessary traffic regulation orders required for the scheme on James Street and Station Parade.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transport, Coun Keane Duncan, said: “Localism is a key priority of the new council so it is important to seek the views of area committee councillors on the Gateway project.

“The scheme represents a landmark investment aiming to rejuvenate the town centre, support business and encourage people to travel more sustainably.

“We are seeking support from local councillors, elected by and accountable to the people of Harrogate and Knaresborough, so we can move forward and seize this transformational £11.2 million opportunity.”

Harrogate’s Station Gateway scheme aims to improve access to public transport connections, facilities for walking and cycling and public spaces.

The Gateway project includes:

Reallocating road space along Station Parade to provide amenity for bus priority and a new two-way cycleway, while reducing to one lane for vehicles

Improved signal installations at two junctions and three pelican crossings with better co-ordination along the A61 Cheltenham Parade/Station Parade

Public realm improvements to the One Arch underpass, Station Square and Station Parade

Partial pedestrianisation of James Street to create a high-quality retail environment

Changing Cheltenham Mount to one way

Improvements to the Odeon roundabout to support cyclists/pedestrians

The Harrogate Gateway project is part of a £42 million Transforming Cities Fund investment in North Yorkshire, which will see similar schemes in Selby and Skipton.

The aim is to increase access to jobs, education, healthcare and leisure facilities, while improving health and wellbeing by enabling easier walking and cycling and making the town more welcoming to residents, visitors and businesses.

North Yorkshire Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority are working together on the Harrogate scheme.

Under the plans, a bus lane would be installed on the northern section of Station Parade and a pedestrian zone introduced on James Street between Princes Street and Station Parade which would be closed to all traffic between 10.30am and 4pm daily.

Three public consultations have been carried out for the Gateway scheme.

The third round of consultation was held last year, attracting nearly double the responses of the previous consultations, resulting in 2,044 surveys and more than 5,000 individual comments.

The results showed 45 per cent of respondents were positive, nine per cent were neutral and 46 per cent were negative.

Most respondents agreed the proposals would make the town centre more attractive to residents and visitors, have a positive impact on business and encourage active travel.

A report on the Gateway scheme will be presented to North Yorkshire Council’s executive on May 30.

If the scheme is given the go-ahead, the final business case would need to be approved by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to release the funding, with construction expected to begin before the end of the year.

Find more information about the Transforming Cities Fund programme at www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/TCF