Otley Road Archives - Page 5 of 15

Mobile company submits plan for 5G mast on Otley Road

A telecommunications company has submitted plans for a second 5G mast in Harrogate.

CK Hutchison Networks Ltd, which operates Three Mobile, has tabled the proposal to North Yorkshire Council for land off Otley Road in the town.

It would see the 17m mast built on land near to Swinton Court.

The company said in documents submitted to that authority that the scheme would “assimilate well into the immediate street scene” and would “not be detrimental”.

It added:

“The use of the public highway to accommodate a new telecommunications installation complies with both central government and local planning policy guidance, where the underlying aim is to provide an efficient and competitive telecommunication system for the benefit of the community while minimising visual impact.”

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

The move comes as CK Hutchison Networks has also appealed a decision to refuse a plan for a 5G mast at Granby Park in Harrogate.

In February, Harrogate Borough Council rejected the plan over concerns of its visual impact on the parkland.

At the time, the council’s case officer, Emma Howson, said the mast would be “highly visible” from the Stray, as well as on Skipton Road and Claro Road.

Now, CK Hutchison Networks has taken the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning disputes.

In documents submitted to the inspector, it says it does not accept that the mast would have a “detrimental impact on the street scene”.

Former stables and cricket pavilion to be demolished in Harrogate 480-home plan

Several derelict buildings including a cricket pavilion are set to be demolished in fields off Otley Road in Harrogate to make way for the 480-home Bluecoat Wood development.

The government’s housing agency Homes England is behind the housing scheme, which would cover 28 hectares of largely green fields. The homes would wrap around horticultural charity Horticap.

A mix of one, two, three, four and five-bedroom houses are proposed for the site. Homes England says 40% of the houses will be allocated as “affordable”.

An outline planning application was submitted last year but is yet to receive final approval.

However the developer asked North Yorkshire Council if it could demolish several buildings on the site and the authority confirmed this month that it can.

It means that five timber buildings associated with a former stables will be demolished as well as a small shed and a stone barn on the site.

A cricket pavilion formerly used by Pannal Ash Cricket Club will also be demolished.

However, under plans submitted by Homes England, the development is set to include a new cricket pitch on the site and the club will return to using it.

Documents state:

“The wider proposals for the Bluecoat Park site include a new cricket pavilion and cricket field, which will provide a new home for Pannal Ash Cricket Club and will allow them to return to the site.

“Alongside the proposed residential development and cricket facilities, a football hub is also proposed. These sporting facilities will provide much higher quality sporting facilities in this area, which will help encourage an active and healthy lifestyle.”

The section of Otley Road approaching Harlow Hill is set to be transformed by up to 1,500 homes over the next decade.

The Bluecoat Wood site has been mooted for housing for many years and Homes England took it on after a previous plan fell through.

The former Harrogate Borough Council Local Plan, which is still binding, says that the Windmill Farm site on the other side of Otley Road can also be developed.

Plans for 770 homes and a new primary school were submitted last year by Anwyl Land and national housebuilder Redrow Homes. The site also includes space for self-build homes.

But there have been long-standing fears from residents that the services that people rely on will be put under further strain by the new developments.

The Western Arc Coordination Group is hopeful a council-led document called the West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy (WHIDS) will go some way to ensuring investment takes place into roads, schools and healthcare before much of the homes are constructed.

But it’s faced a series of delays which has frustrated residents in the group.

Residents demand progress on west Harrogate infrastructure plan

Residents’ groups in the west of Harrogate have expressed “total dissatisfaction” with infrastructure improvements in the area.

Seven parish councils and residents’ associations shared their frustrations with the lack of progress as thousands of new homes are built.

They said they had been promised a draft document almost a year ago but were yet to see it, or any other progress.

Rene Dziabas, chairman of Harrogate and Pannal Ash Residents’ Association, spoke on behalf of the groups at North Yorkshire Council‘s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee last week.

He said:

“At the time, we expressed the view that much of this work came over as incoherent and lacking any real structure. We were assured that a complete infrastructure strategy and associated delivery schedule would be made available in October of last year.

“Council representatives assured us that these documents would include clear objectives, clear deliverables, timings, supporting data and financial costings. This was a council commitment, not one initiated by us as stakeholders.

“Yet here we are in mid-2023 and the latest position is that consultants are still looking at the viability of what previous consultants have proposed.So far we have seen no hard detail whatsoever in relation to the infrastructure strategy and delivery schedule and no offer of meaningful engagement with the community.

“Recent correspondence would seem to indicate further delays therefore our overall concern is that this work when it eventually emerges will deliver an ineffective and inadequate package.”

Mr Dziabas said there were 4,000 new homes being built around the west of Harrogate, “the equivalent of a small town”.

Residents were concerned about the impact not just on roads, but on medical facilities, schools, buses and other infrastructure.

He said the local plan, which sets out where development can happen, was being put together more than a decade ago, yet there had been no changes to infrastructure to cope with the building that had already taken place.

He added:

“The reality is that we are now some years on and we see nothing that convinces us that there’s any sort of plan in place that will help to mitigate strains on the infrastructure to the west of Harrogate.”

In response, NYC’s planning and transport departments issued a joint statement, which was read out by meeting clerk Mark Codman.

It said the local plan and related documents set a “clear framework” for development, while section 106 agreements with developers were used to leverage investment for infrastructure improvements.

A review and costings exercised had been commissioned by the previous councils, it said, and would provide “clarification and certainty”. It added:

“The complex nature of the work means it is not yet complete. Officers are prioritising this work, however the nature of strategic projects does sometimes involve unforeseen delays.”

Cllr Chris Aldred, who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley for the Liberal Democrats, said he was in agreement with the residents.

He recalled hearing a similar call for progress at a meeting a year before, and said he was frustrated to be in the same position now. He added:

“Really, we do need to get our act together on these matters, because people are living in a state of flux where nothing is happening and it’s not fair to the residents.

“I strongly want the executive to get on top of this. I know we’ve had the distraction of local government reorganisation and eight councils into one, but that has now been achieved and we really need to move on with these matters.

“i don’t want to be sitting here in a year’s time and having similar presentations from parish councils.”

Ramshackle phone box transformed into Stray information point

A ramshackle red phone box in Harrogate has been moved and transformed into a history of the Stray.

The disused phone box on the Stray, just off Otley Road, had fallen into a dilapidated state.

So the Stray Defence Association, which safeguards the 200 acres of parkland against building and encroachment, hired a specialist renovation company to uplift it on March 16.

It was restored to its original bright scarlet and moved to a more prominent town centre spot on West Park Stray, where it stood beneath a white cover for several days.

Two children removed the covers at an unveiling ceremony this afternoon to reveal the new-look phone box with panels displaying the history of Harrogate’s Stray and the Stray Defence Association.

Its old position on the Stray, next to Otley Road, has been restored and reseeded to return it to Stray land.

Stray Defence Association chairman Judy d’Arcy Thompson and committee member Syd Bell

Judy D’Arcy Thompson, chairman of the Stray Defence Association, said:

“It is the Stray Defence Association’s hope that it will become a valued part of the West Park street scene and an intriguing and iconic information source for both local people and visitors to Harrogate.”

Today’s unveiling, which was attended by members of the Stray Defence Association, Harrogate In Bloom and Harrogate Civic Society, coincided with the 90th anniversary of the Stray Defence Association, which was formed on May 12, 1933

Cordelia, 7, and Harry, 5, performed the opening by cutting a ribbon to highlight how children are the future custodians of the Stray.

A Stray Defence Association donor paid for the renovation, which was approved by the Duchy of Lancaster and both Harrogate Borough Council and the new North Yorkshire Council.

The phone box being uplifted

Panels on the restored phone box tell the story of the Stray.

Residents to meet council about future of Otley Road sustainable travel

Officers at North Yorkshire Council will meet with Harrogate residents this month to discuss how £565,000 can be spent on sustainable travel around Harrogate’s Otley Road.

The former county council allocated £4.6m to deliver a sustainable transport package in the area but the results so far have disheartened both residents and cyclists.

Most of the money has been spent on the widening of the Harlow Moor Road junction for cars, smart traffic lights and the roundly-criticised cycle path.

Rene Dziabas, chair of Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association, told a meeting of the group’s members last week that it will be putting forward ideas on what the remaining £565,000 could be spent on.

Mr Dziabas said:

“I have convinced the council to hold a workshop on ideas for what we think are sensible things to put on Otley Road. That will be held on second half of May. Local residents have a right to have an input on this.”

Otley Road has faced years of stop-start roadworks and residents have also been scarred by the experience of the cycle path, which was so unpopular that the council were forced to abandon its second phase earlier this year.

One resident asked Mr Dziabas what improvements can realistically be made with the £565,000 but he said it could be the start of a long-term plan to reduce congestion on Otley Road and get people out of their cars.

He said:

“The £565,000 won’t give you much but what we need is a sustainability plan. It might cost X million and take five years but we need a proper plan in place that convinces people that you will deliver sustainability. This bit could be the start of it.”

Mr Dziabas added that he has been encouraged the approach taken by North Yorkshire Council who he said “appear more willing to listen”.

He said:

“We’re having meetings but it’s a double-edged sword. We’ve complained for a long time that they’re not talking to us, now they are talking to us they can say [afterwards] oh, we have talked to you. But if you don’t talk you can’t influence.”

It’s expected that proposals for Otley Road will be put before councillors on the Harrogate & Knaresborough area consituency committee in July.

More roadworks cause delays at Curious Cow roundabout

Temporary traffic lights will be in place near a key junction in Harrogate for the next week as Yorkshire Water connects a new housing development in the area.

Work to connect developments on Skipton Road is affecting the B6161 Otley Road near the roundabout joining the A59 Skipton Road.

It is causing lengthy tailback at the Curious Cow roundabout on the edge of Killinghall.

The work is scheduled to last until next Friday, April 28, though Yorkshire Water said there will a short break this weekend. A spokesperson said:

“Our teams are on site to complete a connection for a new housing development. Traffic lights are in place to allow this work to be carried out safely.

“We have work closely with North Yorkshire Council highways team and to minimise disruption as much as possible the traffic lights will be removed on Saturday and reinstated on Monday for work to continue. We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause.”

Meanwhile, CityFibre is installing fibre optic cables for broadband along the A61 Ripon Road between Harrogate and Killinghall.

The work, which is being carried out between 7pm and 6.30am, has already begun and is scheduled to continue into next week.

‘It will hurt businesses’: Lib Dem councillor to vote against Harrogate’s Station Gateway

A Liberal Democrat councillor in Harrogate says he will not be voting in favour of the controversial Station Gateway proposal next month.

Michael Schofield, who represents Harlow & St Georges, is the first local councillor and first Liberal Democrat to confirm which way he will vote when the decision is made by the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee in May.

The controversial £11.2 million project has been in development for three years after funding was won from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund to make the town centre more accessible to cyclists and pedestrians.

North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative executive member for highways Keane Duncan has said the council will follow whatever decision Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors take at a meeting on May 5 regarding the scheme.

But Cllr Schofield, whose division includes the troubled Otley Road cycle path, says he will not be voting for the gateway to go ahead “in its current guise”.

He cited concerns over its design, cost, and impact on businesses.

The councillor is also the landlord of the Shepherd’s Dog pub on Harlow Hill and said the disruption during construction could lead to financial hardship for town centre shops, bars and restaurants. He said:

“Our independents were once thriving; they have have had to deal with covid and the cost of living crisis. I therefore cannot vote for something that may potentially deal them yet another blow.”

Since the scheme was announced, the cost of building materials has rocketed and inflation has topped 10%.

Cllr Duncan has said the scheme’s build quality will not be compromised but Cllr Schofield said this could result in higher costs for taxpayers. He said:

“Unless corners are cut, who will pay? It is unfair to ask other towns within North Yorkshire to foot the bill at the expense of their residents as it is also unfair to expect the good people of Harrogate to foot the bill.”

The gateway scheme would see Station Parade reduced to one lane which has been unpopular with some residents and businesses as has the proposed part-pedestrianisation of James Street. Cllr Schofield said other designs should have been considered. He added:

“It is my belief that there are other plans out there created by retired professionals in the field of urban design that have not been considered and are more sympathetic to not only the public realm but also the businesses in the town centre.

“We have been told it is the plan on the table or nothing which is very undemocratic when other plans are available that should be considered.”

A third round of public consultation about the scheme was published in January and showed 46% of views were negative and 45% were positive.

Cllr Duncan said previously:

“While overall opinion of the scheme is split almost 50:50, key elements of the scheme received positive support from the public who took part.

“They told us they believe the scheme will be positive for business, make getting around the town centre safer and encourage more people to walk and cycle.”

Plan approved to convert 150-year-old Harrogate church into house

A plan to convert a 150-year-old church in Harrogate into a house has been approved.

All Saints Church on Otley Road was formerly opened in 1871 as a cemetery chapel.

It was designated as a grade-II listed building in 1975, but was forced to shut in November 2006 due to wet and dry rot.

Three-years later the church closed for good as it was considered unsafe.

Now, North Yorkshire Council has given the go-ahead for the church to be converted into a three-bedroom house.

The application, submitted by ELG Planning on behalf of Mr and Mrs Hunter, said the church could be salvaged and brought back into use.

In a planning statement, the developers said:

“The former Church of All Saints is a building in much need of attention.

“The applicant has belief that the existing building can be resurrected with restoration and modification to form a long term home for themselves and enjoyed by family members.

“Without foresight the building can, with the right approach be salvaged, and put to continued use as a sanctuary and place of continued life.”

Cycling signs on Otley Road are ‘temporary measure’

The company rolling out fibre broadband infrastructure across Harrogate has reassured residents that replacement pavement markings are only temporary.

CityFibre said the bicycle signs on Otley Road should be replaced within the next two weeks with a more permanent finish.

The paths were dug up last month to install fibre optic broadband cables as part of a district-wide project.

The trench was filled with tarmac, which partially removed the markings for the shared cycle path. A can of white spray paint was reportedly used by workers to mark up what was previously in place.

Kim Johnston, regional partnership director at CityFibre, said:

“The restoration works are ongoing, with the current cycle marking a temporary measure. We expect work to be completed on or around April 18, dependant on permit approval.

“We would like to thank residents for their patience and reassure them of our commitment to leaving the area in the same way we found it. Works on Otley Road are part of our £46m full fibre rollout in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon, which is set to future-proof the area’s digital infrastructure for decades to come.”

According to the North Yorkshire Council roadworks map, CityFibre is expected to return to the area from April 11 to 18 for the work, with temporary traffic lights to be used around the junctions of Harlow Moor Road and Pannal Ash Road.

Separately, North Yorkshire Council had previously said the road would be closed between 7pm and 3am from April 24 to 28 for remedial works to the cycle route.

It has now confirmed that daytime work is also expected to take place between Monday, April 24, and Wednesday, May 3, from 7.30am to 5pm.

The work had been due to take place last year, but was delayed until after the CityFibre project was complete.

Melisa Burnham, North Yorkshire Council’s highways area manager for Harrogate, said:

“CityFibre have agreed to reinstate the cycle route and any associated lining back to appropriate standards. Officers are in discussion with CityFibre to ensure this is addressed.

“After phase one of the cycle path was completed, the need for some remedial work was identified. That included resurfacing junctions between Otley Road and side roads, to the tactile paving and grass verges. It was also recognised that additional signs and street furniture were needed.”

Otley Road to be closed for cycle route improvements

Otley Road in Harrogate will be closed for five nights next month while remedial works are carried out to the cycle path.

The work follows a review of the project by North Yorkshire County Council and contractor WSP after its completion last February.

The company had been asked to carry out improvements, including carriageway resurfacing, but this was delayed until after CityFibre installed new fibre broadband infrastructure earlier this year.

Now, dates have been set for the remedial work.

Otley Road will be closed between Cold Bath Road and Harlow Moor Road every night from April 24 to 28, from 7pm to 3am.

The Stray Ferret asked the council for full details of the work to be carried out, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

The news of the planned works follows an announcement from the council that it was scrapping the second phase of the three-part cycle lane scheme.

The first phase, which saw shared and segregated cycle lanes installed on Otley Road between Cold Bath Road and Harlow Moor Road, has come under fire since its construction. As part of a joint project which also aimed to widen the junction between Otley Road and Harlow Moor Road, it cost more than £2.2m.

Pedestrians have said the shared paths do not feel safe, while cyclists said it did nothing to encourage more people to cycle.

As a result, the council said it is reviewing plans for schemes to encourage active travel and would not be extending the cycle route to Beech Grove, as originally planned.

Speaking last month, the council’s executive member for transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:

“Our proposal to consider an alternative package of sustainable transport measures demonstrates how we are listening to public feedback. Halting construction of phase two allows us the opportunity to prepare new measures with local input and support.

“The constraints of Otley Road meant it was always going to be difficult to meet government cycle infrastructure design standards without infringing on the Stray, widening the road or removing trees.

“We consulted on a number of options, but these were not fully compliant and attracted criticism. Cyclists have expressed concerns that the proposed cycle way would not encourage more cycling due to its design, while pedestrians said they were concerned about their safety.

“Given the concerns, it is right that we think again and explore alternative measures to promote walking, cycling and use of public transport.”

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