A plan to build 135 homes in Killinghall has been given final approval.

Harrogate Borough Council has granted permission for the scheme, which was submitted back in 2017.

The homes will be built off Otley Road, before the junction with the A59 Skipton Road.

Approval was given after the council agreed a section 106 with Leeds-based Home Group.

The agreement will see 50 homes classed as affordable built on the site.

Of these, 34 will be made available to rent, including one, two, three and four-bed properties. Another 16 will be offered as part of a shared ownership scheme.

Read more:

• ‘It’s hugely disappointing’: Knaresborough affordable homes refused

• Housing Investigation: New homes out of reach for too many locals

The remaining homes will be sold on the open market.

The agreement also includes the “ongoing management and maintenance” of public open space at the development.

Following submission of the proposals, Killinghall Parish Council offered no objection to the plan.

However, it raised concern that access to the site from Otley Road would create a “rat run” through to Skipton Road.

A statement put before the council by planning agents Lichfield and Partners on behalf of the developer said the scheme would bring economic benefits to the area.

It said:

“The application proposals would have significant net social, economic and environmental benefits, which clearly outweigh any adverse impacts of the development.”

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones is to meet the science minister to help a controversial Harrogate animal testing firm expand.

Labcorp Drug Development, which is on Otley Road and was previously called Covance, has been subject to regular demonstrations by animal activists.

A group held banners with slogans such as “puppy killers work here” during a demonstration last month.

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Jones said Labcorp was “one of the largest employers in my constituency”.

The Conservative MP added the firm planned to expand and asked whether George Freeman, who was appointed science minister in this month’s government reshuffle, would meet to discuss it. Mr Jones said:

“One of the largest employers in my constituency is Labcorp, a business that is at the heart of new medicine development both in the UK and across Europe and has played a role in the life science industry response to covid.

“It is considering UK expansion over the next five years at a number of sites across the UK.

“Will my honourable friend meet me to discuss that opportunity, and also some of the obstacles that may get in the way of it, with a view to securing expansion in the UK as a whole but in Harrogate in particular?

Mr Freeman replied:

“I should be delighted to meet my honourable friend soon to discuss that.

“Labcorp is a major global corporation whose investment in the new clinical pharmacology site is vital. It is in such companies that we need to be investing to drive private investment in research and development.”

Read more:

• Andrew Jones calls for long-term support for ‘severely impacted’ Harrogate events sector
• Protesters clash with employees at Harrogate animal testing lab

The Stray Ferret contacted Labcorp but did not receive a response by time of publication.

It previously told us it “takes very seriously our ethical and regulatory responsibilities to treat research animals with the greatest care and respect”.

It added:

“In addition to being the right thing to do, the proper care of research animals is fundamental to sound scientific research and the ability to develop life-saving and life-enhancing new medicines.

“New drugs must be tested in animals before human clinical trials to ensure the safety of patients and volunteers and there are clear links between excellent animal welfare and medical breakthroughs.”

Construction on Harrogate’s long-delayed Otley Road cycle route is set to get underway today.

Work on the North Yorkshire County Council scheme will be carried out from 7am to 5pm every weekday for 10 weeks.

Temporary traffic lights will also be used and there will be overnight road closures for resurfacing,

The Stray Ferret reported this month that Hull-based PBS Constructed Ltd has been commissioned to construct the first phase of the route as part of a £827,100 contract.

Contracts for the final two phases of the scheme would also be awarded via open tender.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, previously apologised for any disruption caused by the construction of the scheme.

He said:

“The work has been timed to start after the busy summer holiday period, but we realise there will be some disruption, so we apologise for that and thank people in anticipation for their patience.

“Most of the work will be carried out during the day, to minimise noise for residents at night, though some work, such as resurfacing, can be carried out only at night under a full road closure.”

Read more:

• More road changes around Beech Grove and Otley Road
• Transport leader expects Harrogate’s Beech Grove road closure to be made permanent
• Hull company awarded £827,000 Otley Road cycle route contract

Work will include widening Otley Road on the approach to Harlow Moor Road as well as the creation of a designated left turn lane on the western approach to Harlow Moor Road and designated right turn lane on the eastern approach.

An off-road cycle route will also be created between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road as part of the first phase.

Work on the route has been beset by delays due to negotiations with the Duchy of Lancaster over the exchange of Stray land.

Harrogate Borough Council agreed in March to designate a plot of land on Wetherby Road as Stray land in exchange for the loss of grass verges on Otley Road for the new cycle path.

A major 780-home development and new primary school could be built on Otley Road near Beckwithshaw.

The Windmill Farm development would be the largest housing scheme to be built in Harrogate for many years. It would dwarf the nearby village of Beckwithshaw, which has a population of 400.

The housing would be built on green fields on the opposite side of the road from the charity-run nursery Horticap and behind RHS Harlow Carr. Part of the land is currently used by Beaver Horse Shop.

Planning consultants Johnson Mowat has released aerial computer generated images of the proposed development, which also includes a new primary school, community hub and shop. It would have three access points on Otley Road.

Four hundred of the homes would be built by Taylor Wimpey UK and the remaining 380 by Redrow Homes. Johnson Mowat said 32% of the site would remain as “open green space”.

A website containing details of the development invites people to give their thoughts. No formal planning application has been submitted yet.

The website says:

“The site is considered a suitable location to meet the need for new homes, it is well located with ideal access to Harrogate town centre and good public transport networks.|

Read more:

• Pannal residents ‘erupt in fury’ at Dunlopillo housing plans
• Tesco to revive controversial Skipton Road supermarket plans

The site is allocated for development in Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan, which is a document that lays out where development can take place in the district until 2034.

Scoping report

A preliminary scoping application approved by the council in 2019 suggested 1,000 homes and two primary schools could be built on the site.

If the Windmill Farm development is granted full planning approval, it would mean over 1,200 homes could be built on that section of Otley Road.

The government’s housing agency, Homes England, has plans to build 560 homes on Bluecoat Park, near Harrogate police station.

A spokesperson for Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association told the Stray Ferret it was “very concerned” about the scale of the Windmill Farm development and its impact on the environment.

They added:

“When added to the other developments proposed for this section of the Otley Road we remain unconvinced that such a development will prove sustainable.

“Given the scale of what is being proposed, we believe that there needs to be a full consultation event for the wider public, that should also include Bluecoat Park to share their views.”

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. See below for details on how to contribute.

It’s wrong to say pedestrians welcome the Otley Road cycle path

Tewit Well and Sun Colonnade are just two examples of gross disrepair

Malcolm Neesam is in the news again regarding ‘the slovenly attitude of the authorities towards maintaining Harrogate’s attractions’.

I, and I’m sure a very great many others, absolutely agree. But it’s not just the Tewit Well and the Sun Colonnade that have fallen into gross disrepair — what about the similarly iconic bandstand at the rear of the Mercer Gallery, adjacent to the public toilets? Its dilapidated and abused state makes it a health and safety accident waiting to happen.

Why do the authorities not appreciate the role that these buildings play in attracting visitors to Harrogate and do something about restoring and/or maintaining them?

Agreed, the floral displays are exquisite and rewilding of parts of the Stray is a good idea. But our pavements are strewn with litter and we have to manoeuvre our way over damaged paving and around waste/recycling bins; changes to our road systems are thrust upon us even though they are having and will have serious repercussions; and there is irresponsible and intimidating behaviour in our public spaces and on our roads.

Would it be too much to ask the authorities, who we elected to represent us and whose wages we pay, to take into consideration our wants, needs and expectations in the way they manage Harrogate?

Isn’t a councillor’s primary role to represent those who live in their ward and provide a bridge between the community and the council? But maybe I expect too much and will just have to get on my bike…

Val Michie, Harrogate

The amount of litter in Harrogate is a disgrace

I agree entirely with David Pickering’s comments published in Stray Views on September 5. I would further add that not only the amount of litter is a disgrace in the town centre but also the filthy state of the pavements. Our town should be in pristine condition for visitor and residence alike.

Also, David’s commented on the state of the roads in Harrogate. Again I wish to add a request to North Yorkshire County Council that monies are allocated to improve the roads and allocate a patching gang to fill in the potholes. When potholes are marked in white, why does it take up to 90 days (many go over this time span) to repair them?

Also I would like to ask Harrogate Borough Council why there are weeds and plants growing in kerbs and gutters? What has happened to the mechanical road sweepers?

David James, St. Georges ward, Harrogate

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

North Yorkshire County Council today published details of the forthcoming roadworks on Otley Road due to the construction of a cycle route.

The scheme, which has been beset by delays, will start on September 20, with work taking place between 7am and 5.30pm every weekday.

Temporary traffic lights will also be used and there will be overnight road closures for resurfacing,

The council said it was liaising with Harrogate Grammar School to ensure pupils and vehicles travel safely to the school. Pedestrian access to homes and businesses will remain in place throughout the works.

Officials at the county council said they expected the work to be completed within 10 weeks, dependent on weather conditions.

The Stray Ferret reported this month that Hull-based PBS Constructed Ltd has been commissioned to construct the first phase of the route as part of a £827,100 contract.

Read more:

• More road changes around Beech Grove and Otley Road
• Transport leader expects Harrogate’s Beech Grove road closure to be made permanent
• Hull company awarded £827,000 Otley Road cycle route contract

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, said:

“These improvements are being delivered as part of the government’s £4.6 million award to the council from the National Productivity Investment Fund for sustainable transport in the west of Harrogate.

“The measures will help to improve safety and alleviate the congestion experienced along the Otley Road corridor. 

“They are essential to accommodating existing traffic and supporting future growth, as set out in Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan. The improvements will significantly benefit the community and help to create a better-connected and safer network for pedestrians and cyclists.”

Widening Otley Road

Cllr Mackenzie also apologised for any disruption caused as part of construction of the scheme. He said:

“The work has been timed to start after the busy summer holiday period, but we realise there will be some disruption, so we apologise for that and thank people in anticipation for their patience.

“Most of the work will be carried out during the day, to minimise noise for residents at night, though some work, such as resurfacing, can be carried out only at night under a full road closure.”

Work will include widening Otley Road on the approach to Harlow Moor Road as well as the creation of a designated left turn lane on the western approach to Harlow Moor Road and designated right turn lane on the eastern approach.

An off-road cycle route will also be created between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road as part of the first phase.

A Hull-based engineering company has been awarded an £827,000 contract to construct the first phase of the Otley Road cycleway in Harrogate.

North Yorkshire County Council appointed PBS Construction for the project, which is known as the West Harrogate Scheme, with a start date earmarked for September 20.

The company has largely carried out projects in East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, but has previously repaired the Kirkby-Masham bridge in North Yorkshire at a cost of £229,500.

The firm is also a sponsor of Hull FC rugby league club.

According to government procurement documents, the contract is valued at £827,100 and is set to end in November this year.

Melisa Burnham, highways area manager at the county council, said:

“The bid process allows any interested companies to bid. All tenders are evaluated and in this case PBS Construction Ltd were the stand-out applicants.

“Work is scheduled to begin in September and we will be issuing an update shortly.”

Work will include widening Otley Road on the approach to Harlow Moor Road as well as the creation of a designated left turn lane on the western approach to Harlow Moor Road and designated right turn lane on the eastern approach.

Read more:

• More road changes around Beech Grove and Otley Road
• Transport leader expects Harrogate’s Beech Grove road closure to be made permanent

An off-road cycle route will also be created between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road as part of the contract.

Traffic light junctions will also be upgraded.

The county council previously confirmed to the Stray Ferret that the final two phases of the scheme would also be awarded via open tender.

Negotiations with the Duchy of Lancaster over the exchange of Stray land have caused delays.

Harrogate Borough Council agreed in March to designate a plot of land on Wetherby Road as Stray land in exchange for the loss of grass verges on Otley Road for the new cycle path.

A second set of roadworks is set to bring more delays for motorists on Harrogate’s Otley Road this month.

Temporary traffic lights are already in place at the junction with Harlow Moor Road, where Northern Gas Network is carrying out work until September 3.

More lights will appear slightly closer to the town centre when Northern Powergrid begins work to divert underground cables at the junction with Harlow Oval for 11 days from August 16.

These utility works are the final step before the start of the delayed Otley Road cycle lane. Phase one, which is expected to last a few months, is due to start on September 6.

The scheme will see an off-road cycle route created between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road.

The project will also require widening Otley Road on the approach to Harlow Moor Road as well as the creation of a designated left turn lane on the western approach to Harlow Moor Road and designated right turn lane on the eastern approach.

Read more:

• Could the Ginnel closure be permanent? Decision looms at end of month
• Villagers campaign to cut ‘dangerous’ speed limit in Burnt Yates

Barely a day has passed in the Harrogate district this year without some sort of controversy about roads and transport schemes.

Roadworks on Skipton Road, new cycling initiatives, the Harrogate Station Gateway, low traffic neighbourhoods, a park and ride, low-traffic neighbourhoods, speed limits… the list goes on.

Everyone who uses roads seems to have an opinion on them and often they’re not very complimentary towards the highways authority, North Yorkshire County Council.

The chief flak taker is usually Don Mackenzie, the Conservative councillor for Harrogate Saltergate, who as the council’s executive member for access sets the policy. But it’s Melisa Burnham, area manager for the Harrogate district, who is effectively the head civil servant in charge of delivering it.

Ms Burnham, a former Ripon Grammar School pupil, has day-to-day oversight of 1,100 miles of road in the district. The junction improvements at Bond End in Knaresborough in 2018 is among the projects she helped complete. Does she wince when she reads some of the more brutal comments directed at Cllr Mackenzie?

“Very much so. I’ve worked with Don for a number of years and I know he has the best interests at heart.

“A person said to me in Harrogate the other day: ‘You must have thick skin because all you hear are complaints’. They can get quite personal.

“Sometimes we don’t always get it right but we do strive to deliver the best service we can.”

Ms Burnham, who studied geography at Hull University, oversees a capital budget of £7.7 million, of which £2.5 million is being spent on surface dressing 200 sites this year. Leeds Road’s four-week resurfacing cost £800,000 and involved cleaning 105 gullies.

Melisa Burnham (right) and Jayne Charlton, the council’s area manager for Richmondshire and Hambleton.

She’s also in charge of gritting from October to April. There are 13 priority routes in the district, including the A59 and the A61. The A1 is Highways England‘s responsibility.

Most criticism, she says, is due to a lack of knowledge. The guy sat in the van apparently doing nothing at roadworks is probably operating the traffic lights, she says, and just because someone doesn’t see gritters doesn’t mean they aren’t operating. Highways officers hold two briefings a day in winter to decide whether to activate the fleet of 13 gritters. Ms Burnham says:

“Sometimes people just don’t have the knowledge and information. The more you can share information with them and the more you can inform people, maybe they complain less.”

There have been plenty of complaints this year about specific projects, not least the biggest one: the £10.9 million Harrogate Station Gateway. The scheme, which aims to transform town centre travel by encouraging cycling and walking and reducing traffic, has upset some businesses that fear the proposals to reduce Station Parade to one lane and pedestrianise part of James Street could damage trade.

Ms Burnham says she wasn’t surprised by the reaction and adds the council has been “listening to both sides about their concerns” and is confident of a “positive outcome for the town”.

Cycling schemes

She acknowledges the Otley Road cycle route has had a “lot of problems” due to delays caused by the exchange of Stray land, utility works and covid but is confident work will finally begin in October.

The county council secured £715,000 funding for three other cycling improvement schemes on Oatlands Drive in Harrogate, Victoria Avenue in Harrogate and the A59 Knaresborough Road but the consultation generated such fierce opposition to the Oatlands initiative from residents in the nearby Saints area that it didn’t proceed.

But change to Oatlands is still very much on the agenda. Ms Burnham says a feasibility report at the end of August will consider measures to ease congestion. She says:

“We recognised we needed to take a step back.

“The feasibility study will look at the options. Residents parking was a key issue — that has been a historic problem in the area, especially with the hospital and schools.”

The £215,000 allocated for Oatlands has been diverted to the other two schemes although it seems the funky cyclops junction mooted for the junction of Victoria Avenue and Station Parade to totally separate cyclists from traffic won’t happen. Ms Burnham says it was just one option and there “might be something similar” instead.

She seems cool on the Pannal park and ride idea, saying further details should be available in a couple of months. She insists it’s still on the table but adds “it has to work financially for the bus service too”.

Low-traffic neighbourhoods

Low-traffic neighbourhoods, which reduce motor vehicles in residential areas, have been another bugbear.

An experimental order was introduced on Harrogate’s Beech Grove in February, which closed the route to through traffic. The move took many people by surprise and some cars were driven across the Stray by motorists determined to keep using the route as a cut through between West Park and Otley Road.

Read more:

• Ill feeling lingers after decision to scrap Oatlands cycling scheme
• £10.9m Harrogate Station Gateway scheme: what key groups say

Ms Burnham says reaction was “mixed”

“There was some positive and that sometimes gets lost in the media and social media.”

The experimental order was extended from 6 months to 18 months before decision is made on whether to close the road permanently to through traffic — why? Ms Burnham says it was to allow more time to see how the initiative ties in with other schemes, such as the Otley Road and Victoria Avenue cycling projects.

She says it’s exciting to see a network of connecting cycle routes emerge in Harrogate.

But a Bilton low traffic neighbourhood, suggested this year, is off the agenda, at least until autumn next year. Ms Burnham says the council wants to assess Beech Grove before considering any other low-traffic neighbourhoods.

No more roadworks than usual

She insists that, contrary to popular belief, there are currently no more roadworks than usual.

Harrogate, she says, often has more roadworks than other parts of the county because it is an urban area, adding:

“There’s also a lot of development taking place and because of that a lot of road works need to happen.”

Ms Burnham says the council tries to stipulate that work takes place between 9.30am to 3.30pm on key routes and can insist on night works “when it’s reasonable”.

As for permits to carry out roadworks being extended, and traffic lights lasting for months, which happened on Skipton Road in Harrogate, she says:

“It’s difficult when a company comes to you and says ‘we need to do more work’. Sometimes they do find issues on site.”

Female role model

Ms Burnham, a mother of two young girls who enjoys camping and walking, is one of two women out of 11 senior officers in the highways senior management team. She lives in Northallerton.

The county council workforce is 76 per cent female but highways remains male-dominated. She says:

“Some people still have a surprised reaction when I tell them my job title. That said, we are certainly seeing a positive increase in women into the service. I now have four females in my team.”

Ms Burnham worked for Harrogate Borough Council for four years from 2005, during which she helped deliver the Nidderdale Greenway scheme.

She joined North Yorkshire County Council in 2009 and was a senior engineer in the special projects team and a lead officer in the transport and development team before moving to her current position in 2018.

More than anywhere else in North Yorkshire, the Harrogate district presents both rural and urban transport challenges. She says:

“Harrogate is just that little bit more demanding in terms of its urban nature and popularity of events.”

Work will not begin on the new Otley Road cycle lane in Harrogate for at least another two or three months.

Cyclists who use the busy road have already waited a long time for the scheme. A total of £3.2 million funding was set aside in 2018.

The final remaining barrier, after delays caused by coronavirus and negotiations over Stray land, is the ongoing utility works.

An 11-week programme of works by Northern Powergrid is due to finish on May 17. But there will be some other smaller works taking place then.

Once all utility works are complete North Yorkshire County Council has said it can start the cycle route. The local authority will also make improvements to the junction with Harlow Moor Road.

Read more:

• Stray Views: one-way proposals spark safety concerns in the Saints
• ‘Nobody cares about us’: Pub landlord criticises extended road closure

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are planning to start work on the Otley Road cycle route in the next two to three months.

“The main set of works has been those by Northern Powergrid. They should be finished soon and there will be some more minor works after that.

“Once all of those utility works are out of the way then we can start work.”

Melisa Burnham, the highways area manager at the county council, added:

“A number of utility works are required to facilitate both the junction works and the cycle route. All necessary parties have been identified and programmes are planned in.

“If there are any further changes, we will provide an update on our web page. Affected residents will also be notified by advanced notification boards on site.”