Council agrees consultation over Stray exchange land

Senior Harrogate councillors have approved a public consultation over three plots of land to be designated for the Stray.

Last night, senior councillors on Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet agreed to hold a 12 week public consultation this summer over which plot is the most suitable.

It follows length discussions between the authority and the Duchy of Lancaster over land to be exchanged for verges on Otley Road which will be removed for a multi-million pound cycle route

As part of the Stray Act, a suitable plot of land must be offered in exchange.

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The three areas identified are:

It comes as North Yorkshire County Council looks to press ahead with the cycle route on the stretch of road between Harlow Moor Road and Beech Grove.

The area of land outlined in Harrogate Borough Council documents earmarked to be exchanged as part of the Otley Road cycle route.

The project has already been delayed and the negotiations over the Stray land have been a further stumbling block for the second phase of the scheme.

Borough council leader, Richard Cooper, said the authority had to show it was in favour of sustainable means of travel.

He said:

“We talk about sustainable transport a lot and now we are delivering some.

“It is important that we do that because when we campaign against things like the relief road nearby the Nidd Gorge and say we are in favour of sustainable measures, but fall at the first fence when they are put forward it dampens our credibility when we say we are in favour of sustainable transport.”

However, earlier this week, the Stray Defence Association (SDA) raised concern over the amenity value of the second and third options outlined by the council.

Stray exchange land identified for cycle route

Harrogate Borough Council is set to consult on three plots of land to be designated the Stray as part of a land swap to make way for the Otley Road Cycle Route.

The building of the cycle route means that verges classed as Stray land have to be removed. As part of the Stray Act, a suitable plot of land must be offered in exchange.

The council will now consult on the three areas of land before settling on one to exchange.

The three areas identified are:

Senior councillors on the borough council’s cabinet are expected to approve the public consultation on Wednesday.

It comes as North Yorkshire County Council’s looks to press ahead with a multi-million cycle route on the stretch of road between Harlow Moor Road and Beech Grove.

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The scheme has been marred by delays and, with less than a mile of the route being built, the county council has been criticised over a “lack of ambition”.

Now, highways bosses will hope that the consultation will lead to a solution to its latest stumbling block and prevent any further setbacks.

The preferred area of land outlined in Harrogate Borough Council documents earmarked to be exchanged as part of the Otley Road cycle route.

Lengthy negotiations with the Duchy of Lancaster over the use of Stray land on the footpaths and verges between Cold Bath Road and Beech Grove delayed the second phase of the project from going ahead.

The borough council’s preferred option would see a plot of land behind Harrogate District Hospital which adjoins the end of Willaston Road offered in exchange.

While the land has a covenant which states that it is intended for recreational and open space, the council said it would not prevent it from being used as exchange land.

However, the Stray Defence Association (SDA) raised concern over the amenity value of the second and third options outlined by the council.

Judy D’Arcy Thompson from the SDA said:

“Land taken from the Stray to build roads, footpaths etc remains forever Stray land, belonging ultimately to the Crown.

“However, as everything on the surface of the Stray belongs to the people of Harrogate, any land utilised for any purpose must be given back to Harrogate’s people as ‘payback land and be of the same amenity value to them as their original Stray.

“What concerns us about the latest proposals from HBC and NYCC is just that. Of what ‘amenity value’ are the verges along Arthurs Avenue and St James Drive going to be for local people?

“Are people going to picnic there, sit and read a book there, play football, cricket, or any other game there? We think not. Therefore, what actual ‘amenity value’ does the land being offered have?”

Growing frustration in Harrogate’s cycling community

Today we report on the growing frustration and noise among the cycle lobby which has campaigned in Harrogate for better cycling routes.

The pandemic has led to fewer cars on the road, cleaner air and a boom in bike sales. These factors have strengthened campaigner’s resolve who see now as the time to push for transformational change.

Around half a dozen cycling and environmental groups exist in the district. All pushing for improvements for cyclists  and pressurising council leaders to deliver.

A lack of ambition, a need for more infrastructure and a sense of frustration were among the complaints from the groups the Stray Ferret spoke to, as promised schemes have yet to come to fruition.

Kevin Douglas, who chairs the Harrogate District Cycle Action group, said a lack of movement on any infrastructure has left cyclists disappointed.

He said: “It is frustrating. They did an excellent job in getting the funding but the delivery is the key.

“During the past five weeks, families and young people have been riding because the roads are quiet and they are doing it because it is safe.”

For others, lockdown has offered an extra boost to the message that more people want to cycle- a view which is backed up by research undertaken before the crisis.

In a survey by Andrew Jones MP last year, nearly half of residents who responded said the town’s cycling facilities were poor and needed to be improved.

Caroline Linford, founder of Sustainably Harrogate, said the town could improve its infrastructure after lockdown and called for more ambition from the county council.

She said that the lack of progress on Otley Road was indicative of the will of those in charge to deliver for the town.

She said: “I think for me what I would like to have seen is using it to make the town move again.”

“There is a lack of action and what I would like to see is some ambition from the county council.”

Tomorrow in our Focus on Cycling series we put the concerns of cycling campaigners to Don Mackenzie, the senior county councillor in charge of highways.