Oak Beck Bridge in Harrogate may not be demolished and replaced after all.

North Yorkshire County Council received planning permission to destroy the existing structure on Skipton Road and build a new one in November 2021.

It said the £1 million project was necessary because the current bridge was in poor condition.

Howard Civil Engineering was due to start the 24-week scheme in January last year.

But in June last year, council bridges manager Philip Richardson said the scheme had been delayed due to “unforeseen circumstances” and the council was still in talks with Yorkshire Water.

Mr Richardson gave an almost identical response when the Stray Ferret asked for an update in April this year, adding “please be assured that we will begin work as soon as we are able”.

With no sign of progress five months later, the Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council, which succeeded North Yorkshire County Council this year, for another update.

Mr Richardson said

“Over the summer we carried out short-term works including resurfacing the road and repairing stonework to ensure the bridge remains safe for all road users.

“We will be looking at longer-term options including widening the bridge or strengthening the existing structure.”

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Although this does not rule out replacing the bridge, it indicates this is no longer the only option.

The Stray Ferret asked why it no longer appeared necessary to replace the bridge as it had been deemed unsafe.

A council spokesperson said:

“As the statement says, the bridge remains safe. We were in discussions around costs and will now be looking at possible long-term works.”

The bridge is located near the junction with Ripon Road at New Park — close to where the new Tesco supermarket is due to be built.

Harewood Bridge near Harrogate could re-open earlier than expected after undergoing essential maintenance.

The grade-II listed structure, which is used by 17,000 vehicles a day, closed on July 26 and is due to reopen on August 24.

Its closure has led to 15-mile diversions and added 30 minutes to journey times.

The Stray Ferret contacted Leeds City Council today after hearing unofficial reports work was ahead of schedule and the bridge was on course to reopen a week early.

The council refused to rule out an early reopening but said nothing has been decided yet.

A spokesperson said:

“We are confident works to Harewood Bridge will be completed by the programmes original completion date of August 24 at the latest, subject to good weather and ground conditions.

“Should the work be completed ahead of this date this will be communicated. We would like to continue to thank people for their patience and apologise for any disruption to their journeys.”

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• Harewood Bridge to be closed for four weeks from this week
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The bridge over the River Wharfe on the A61 is a main route between Harrogate and Leeds.

Leeds City Council closed it for waterproofing, resurfacing and footpath repair work. The footway across the bridge has remained open to pedestrians and cyclists.

Repairs to a Harrogate village bridge which has been closed since June are set to last five weeks.

North Yorkshire Council closed the bridge on Church Lane in Hampsthwaite suddenly and without warning on June 2.

The closure came after a two-inch wide gap appeared at the side of the bridge following a vehicle collision, prompting safety concerns.

Council officials have confirmed that repairs will start on the bridge on July 24 and last for five weeks. It will be closed to traffic, pedestrians and cyclists during the work.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways at the council, said:

“The maintenance of our often historic bridges across the county is a huge task for our officers and unfortunately there are times when we encounter unforeseen repair work. 

“On inspection of Hampsthwaite Bridge, our engineers found that the parapet has been pushed out over the edge of the bridge deck and this has damaged several of the corbels that support from beneath. 

“These need to be repaired and 15 metres of the parapet taken down and rebuilt using hot mixed lime mortar.” 

PBS Construction (North East) Ltd has been awarded a £50,567 contract to carry out repairs on the bridge.

The company was also hired to construct the first phase Otley Road cycle path in September 2021.

Read more:

• Harrogate village bridge set for lengthy closure
• Harewood Bridge to be closed for repairs for four weeks

Cllr Michael Harrison, who represents Hampsthwaite on North Yorkshire Council, said: 

“We appreciate the disruption the closure is having on road users so please be assured that our engineers have been getting plans in motion to carry out the repairs as quickly as possible. 

“We will keep the public updated on the works as they progress.” 

A Harrogate village bridge looks set to be closed to traffic for a long time after a large crack appeared.

North Yorkshire Council closed the bridge on Church Lane in Hampsthwaite suddenly and without warning on Friday.

It acted after a two-inch wide gap appeared at the side of the bridge, prompting safety concerns. It was possible to look through the gap and see the River Nidd.

In an update today the council said 15 metres of the parapet, which is the safety barrier, on the damaged side of the wall needed to be rebuilt.

No timescale or cost was given but the scale of the work indicates long-term closure is likely.

The update did, however, say plans were being drawn up for pedestrians to use the undamaged side of the bridge, which joins Hampsthwaite and Clint.

The crack in the bridge

It is not yet known if cyclists will be permitted to cross.

The cause of the problem remains unknown.

The statement said:

“Following an onsite assessment by engineers we are able to confirm that the parapet has been pushed out over the edge of the bridge deck and this has damaged several of the corbels that support from beneath.

“These need to be repaired and 15 metres of the parapet taken down and rebuilt using hot lime mortar.

“The bridge will remain closed to traffic – due to ongoing safety concerns and the fact the bridge is narrow – until the repairs can be completed. Engineers are working on a scheme and aiming to get contractors on site to start them in July.

“Plans are currently being drawn up to open a section across the bridge, on the opposite side to the damaged parapet, to allow safe crossing for pedestrians.”

Read more:

• Bridge near Harrogate closes suddenly after crack appears
• Harewood Bridge to be closed for repairs for four weeks

A bridge in a village near Harrogate closed suddenly yesterday after a crack appeared.

A two-inch wide gap appeared at the side of the bridge on the edge of Hampsthwaite. It is possible to look through the gap and see the River Nidd.

The issue was reported yesterday on the Hampsthwaite Village Facebook group and later that day the bridge was closed to traffic.

The closure was unannounced by North Yorkshire Council, which is the highways authority.

The bridge between Hampsthwaite and Clint

A long crack has appeared

The bridge, on Church Lane, carries traffic between Hampsthwaite and Clint.

A North Yorkshire Council spokesperson said:

“The bridge has been closed due to structural concerns. We will be assessing it today and will provide an update.”

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• Harewood Bridge to be closed for repairs for four weeks

A starting date for a £1 million scheme to replace Oak Beck Bridge in Harrogate has still to be set.

North Yorkshire County Council planned to begin work in January last year after saying the current bridge on Skipton Road was in poor condition.

But in June last year, council bridges manager Philip Richardson said the scheme had been delayed due to “unforeseen circumstances” and it was still in talks with Yorkshire Water.

Ten months on, the Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council, which has replaced the county council, for an update.

In a statement that was identical in parts to the one issued last year, Mr Richardson said:

“We realise the importance of replacing Oak BeckBridge. Unfortunately, we have not been able to progress the scheme as quickly as we would have liked due to unforeseen circumstances.

“We are currently in discussions with Yorkshire Water about diverting a sewer to make way for the project. Please be assured that we will begin work as soon as we are able.”

The volume of traffic using Skipton Road is expected to increase after Tesco was granted planning permission to build a supermarket at the nearby junction of Skipton Road and Ripon Road.

When it was awarded the £1.1 million contract to demolish the bridge and build a new one, Leeds-based Howard Civil Engineering said the project would take 24 weeks.

Read more:

• ‘Unforeseen circumstances’ delays start of Oak Beck Bridge scheme
• Harrogate Oak Beck Bridge project to cost £1m

This week’s photograph was taken by Helena Jakuba, capturing a perfect reflection over the river Nidd in Knaresborough.

Helena Jakuba

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

John Chadwick