A North Yorkshire County councillor’s call for a bypass for Harrogate is a step closer, following a meeting of the authority today (12 Novemeber 2014).
UKIP County Coun David Simister (Bilton & Nidd Gorge) asked the member in charge of Highways if he would back the call for both a western and northern relief road.
In response, County Coun Gareth Dadd said he was supportive of a study on relief roads for Harrogate and Knaresborough, which, he added would cost in the region of £500,000.
County Coun Simister said: This is very welcome news and takes us a small, but important step, closer.
The main routes in Harrogate and Knaresborough are constantly choked, and congestion is swiftly killing both towns.
I believe a vast majority of residents and businesses are supportive of at least a northern bypass.
Studies have been done in the past, including potential routes, therefore we do have a good starting point.
Hopefully this can reduce the cost of a study and that money can be made available from central government.
Coun Simister added the subject would also be debated at next week’s area committee meeting.
Harrogate desperately needs some relief roads, a link from starveck to bilton would be brilliant, almost all journeys from one area in Harrogate to another have to cross the empress roundabout. Where the cycle track is would have been ideal to relieve some of the traffic.