Revised Harrogate Station Gateway plans released

Revised plans for changes to the Station Gateway plan for Harrogate town centre have been released.

The council say overall aims of the project is to provide more accessible, affordable, and attractive greener transport options, connect people to economic and educational opportunities, and create happier and healthier communities for the future.

The £11 million scheme, under the Transforming Cities Fund (TCF), aims to boost access to Harrogate’s rail and bus stations and deliver improvements to nearby public spaces.

It is part of a £44.6 million investment in North Yorkshire, which will also see a series of improvements in Selby and Skipton.

As part of the statutory process, North Yorkshire Council is formally consulting on the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) required for the scheme on Station Parade.

The council has also published new visuals to represent the revised scheme, which was agreed by the council’s executive in November last year.

Although the council makes big claims for the project, it is difficult to see how these changes go anyway to the stated original objectives.

The Harrogate District Cycle Action group have commented on the proposals, with the main points:

• Station Gateway started out as a transformative sustainable transport scheme, but the sustainable transport aspects have been diluted to the point that they are of little value
• Increasing the throughput of vehicles along Station Parade was never the purpose of the funding, but that is now the main objective of the scheme
• From a cycling point of view, it is only a one-way cycle track. The council needs to explain how people can get *to and from* the station by bike, otherwise they will have failed. So far they have not done so. That is where the recent website post comes in

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive member for highways and transport, said:

We have listened to public views and worked extensively on a cross-party basis with local councillors to revise the Gateway plan.

The original scheme has been reviewed following this feedback, with Station Parade remaining open to two lanes of traffic and with no pedestrianisation of James Street.

It represents a proposal that is deliverable and with significant benefits for all transport users: motorists, cyclists, public transport passengers and pedestrians.

The scheme hopes to deliver high-quality public realm improvements to transform this key area of the town centre. It would see One Arch and Station Square transformed with new paving, trees, planting and lighting.

We plan to introduce improvements for pedestrians, a short southbound cycle lane on Station Parade and a new bus lane to allow easier and quicker access to the station.

Meanwhile, we will use innovative technology to improve the flow of traffic in this congested corridor. It means that the many crossings and traffic lights will be improved and coordinated.

There will be additional cycle parking, including covered parking close to the bus and railway stations, greater use of high-quality materials, such as Yorkshire stone paving, and feature lighting to make the town centre more appealing in the evening.

The scheme maintains taxi ranks in Station Parade, prioritises disabled parking and makes key improvements for pedestrians so access to the stations is easier and more direct.

The advertisement of the TRO is one the final stages before work on the multi-million-pound investment scheme can begin.

Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) are legal documents that restrict or prohibit the use of the highway network, in line with The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

Following the completion of the TRO process, the scheme will need formal sign off from the Department for Transport (DfT) and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) before work can begin in the autumn.

Once work has started, it is anticipated to be completed by the spring of 2026. The works will be planned to keep disruption to a minimum, hence the longer timeframe for completion.