A public consultation will take place this month on changes to the Bond End junction in Knaresborough .
Bond End was declared an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) in 2013. Since then North Yorkshire County Council and its partners have been pressing ahead with plans to reduce congestion in order to improve air quality.
The County Council has been working on solutions with Harrogate Borough Council and has used specialist consultants Mouchel to undertake detailed traffic and environmental modelling work.
As part of the consultation, council officers will be available to discuss the improvement options in Knaresborough Library on Friday, 13 January from 10am to 6pm and on Saturday, 14 January from 10am to 3pm.
The Bond End Steering Group represents the County, Borough and Town Councils, and the Borough Council has already secured £237,000 from the Government’s Clean Bus Technology Fund in partnership with local bus company Transdev, for buses operating between Harrogate and Knaresborough which go through the Bond End junction. The fund will pay for modifications on buses to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide by at least 50 per cent.
Traffic signal improvement is one of a number of measures proposed by Harrogate Borough Council’s Bond End Action Plan. Other measures involving directional signs, planning policy, reducing emissions of the Borough Council fleet, improving cycle routes and implementing methods for smarter travel choices.
County Councillor Bill Hoult, chairman of the Steering Group, said: Increasing traffic volumes in the built-up area generate a high level of pollutants at the current junction. We are working very hard to put together the most effective measures to cut pollution at this junction and we would urge the community and stakeholders to take part in this consultation and makes their views known.
The consultation will take place from 9 January to 10 February and further information is available online at www.northyorks.gov.uk/bondend
