Lib Dem says Harrogate deserves better than £12m Gateway plans 'face-saving exercise' on transport

The comments by Tom Gordon, Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesperson for Harrogate and Knaresborough, come in the build-up to a meeting of The West Yorkshire Combined Authority this Thursday which is expected to approve the long- debated ‘active travel’ scheme for the town’s Station Parade area.

But Mr Gordon argues North Yorkshire Council’s scaled-back version of the controversial Gateway scheme following opposition from local businesses and a legal threat by a local commercial property developer means the whole project has become a let down.

The revised version of the Government-funded plan will still see the building of raised crossings and signal junction improvements, a bus lane from Bower Road into the bus station and a south-bound segregated cycle lane.

But the strongest measures to encourage travel by bike or on foot have now been dropped, meaning that Station Parade will remain two lanes for vehicular traffic and there will be no pedestrianisation on James Street.

Mr Gordon said: “This is an exercise in saving face for the Conservatives, so they can tangibly claim to have done something.

"The problem is that this ‘something’ has divided our town, dragged on, faced delayed and squandered money, opportunity, and public faith in the process.

"There still does not seem to be a satisfactory answer to how North Yorkshire Council ended up in a compromised position facing a valid legal challenge, after not following the correct planning and consultation processes, wasting substantial sums of money on consultants along the way.”

The scheme will also see public realm improvements to One Arch and Station Square and new cycle parking at the railway station.

Subject to the approval of The West Yorkshire Combined Authority, construction is due to start in September and take one year.

Mr Gordon said Gateway had turned into a missed opportunity to improve Harrogate’s transport system and getting traffic moving again.

“What is clear is that we need to get Harrogate moving,” he said.

"That goes for pedestrians, cyclists, rail and bus users, and motorists, too.

“People want to see bold solutions to the problems our town faces.

"That requires leadership from local, regional, national leaders and government.

“We want to see local authorities given more control over their bus networks, including the ability to run their own buses, so that bus routes can be restored or new routes added where there is local need, especially in rural areas.

“We want to encourage people to use our railways, by investing in them.

"This means completing the electrification of our network, including our local line, freezing fares, and simplifying ticketing on public transport to ensure users are paying a fair and affordable price.”

But North Yorkshire Council argues that the new version of Gateway is the best that could feasibly be achieved in the face of opposition and would still result in a better town centre in Harrogate.

The council’s executive member for highways and transport, Coun Keane Duncan, said: “The plans have been revised to ensure we focus on the elements which gathered most public support with the most controversial elements no longer moving forward."