The Harrogate and Knaresborough Alliance for Less Traffic (HALT) officially launched their campaign on Satruday, 13 April 2019, in the town centre of Harrogate.
It is an initiative that has come from the Nidd Gorge Community Action Group and the announcement that North Yorkshire County Council is holding a 12-week engagement process where the public can have their views on the congestion problem and solutions for Harrogate.
Further details on the congestion engagement here https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/harrogate-congestion-engagement
HALT say they have 200 volunteers that will be delivering 48,000 leaflets across 28 wards in the district. The leaflets have been paid for by a crowd funding appeal on their Facebook page.
Click on the video below.
Why would it attract traffic from the M62 into Knaresborough and Harrogate? Tavelling from where to where?
Western by pass was the answer but that has been withdrawn. Strange.
Have a read of this (below) Ralph. Nidd Gorge Community Action prepared this argument for the ‘stakeholder engagement’ phase last year.
Read this in conjunction with the East-West Priorities Plan map on Page 25 of NYCC’s Strategic Transport Prospectus which you can find here:
https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/strategic-transport-prospectus
Harrogate Relief Road will be an alternative route to the M62 that will induce more traffic.
EXTRACT FROM NYCC STUDY OF EAST-WEST CONNECTIVITY
(A59 Skipton-Scarborough)
Source: North Yorkshire County Council, Business and Environmental Services, Executive Members
31 March 2017, East West Connectivity Study, Report of the Assistant Director – Highways and Transportation
1.13 Overall, there is considered to be a robust and compelling quantitative and qualitative
economic case for enhanced East-West Connectivity across the Central Corridor as
demonstrated above. Much of the qualitative case is focused upon the economic potential of
the Corridor and this is considered to be a wholly valid approach given that the economy and
its growth potential is currently constrained by poor transport connectivity on an East-West
axis. Improved connectivity would not only address the economic ambitions of the Corridor
itself but it could also enable the Corridor to provide an alternative route to the M62 corridor
to provide additional resilience to Trans-Pennine connectivity more generally, a key pan-
Northern objective in terms of road and rail, passenger and freight movements.
• What will prevent the proposed road from becoming a viable, alternative east-west option to the M62, thereby encouraging more traffic onto our local roads?
‘East-West Priorities Plan’ map on page 25 Strategic Transport Prospectus for North Yorkshire https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/recruitment/ad_gpts/strategic_transport_prospectus.pdf
The dualling of the A64 from Scarborough, the A1079 from Hull and the York Outer Ring Road, combined with the Junction 47 improvements (where the A1 meets the A59), and the Kex Gill work, will all serve to make the A59 an attractive option for Yorkshire – Lancashire traffic once the obstacle of Harrogate and Knaresborough has been dealt with by a ‘relief road’ that will act as a bypass.
If the chosen relief road alignment were either of the inner – Nidd Gorge/Bilton/ Starbeck/Green Belt affecting – routes (that we are told will have most impact on Skipton Road congestion), we are going to see a huge increase in traffic volumes in our communities – sucked in by this east-west road that is being sold to us as a remedy for congestion.
We hope this helps.
A relief road would no doubt encourage more traffic, we are already congested, not to mention the destruction of the environment and ambiance that attracts people to both live and visit here in Harrogate. Enough has been spent to achieve the uniqueness of Harrogate. I have tried to find the site to vote against the relief road, I fear the leaflets sent out may not get the votes needed to save us from this potential disaster. There are other ways to relieve the traffic, I hope the council sends a voting paper to each household, we have experienced being fleeced in the past leaving council tax payers to foot the loss incurred by those lining their pockets at our expense. I trust a solution can be found in the best interests of the residents and passing traffic.
Liz Jaymal
A ‘relief’ road is of no use to HARROGATE. a proposed ‘relief’ road relieves what?
Ws don’t need a spaghetti junction here.
What was the western bypass please?
I haven’t received the leaflet so I am reading my daughter’s. I may not receive one as I am living in a neighbourhood so blighted with traffic that anbody with any commonsense would vote for a bypass. I find the leaflet very unbalanced and biased. Given the years of utter complacency shown by HBC/NYCC regarding the chronic traffic congestion, I think the unanimous rejection of a bypass/relief road by most councillors and our M.P is outrageous. What is the point of a survey of views if if the key decision makers have already decided to take an option off the table. I’m also sick to death of hearing this statistic that only 7% of traffic in Harrogate is through traffic. Any body who witnesses or lives adjacent to the continuous gridlocked traffic along the Skipton and Wetherby roads must be wondering what the definition of through traffic is ? Laughable !
More roads mean more cars. With all the house building going on in Harrogate District have they given any thought to how many cars this is going to generate. It is not only cost to the tax payer but the cost in green open space and a loss of habitat.
North Yorkshire has allowed large expensive housing in the area but very little low cost housing affordable for the first time buyer. It would be interesting to know just how many houses there actually are. If every house has 2.3 children how many cars does this equate to.
Finally looking into the near future we are told that cars and driving are set to change beyond recognition to what we have now hopefully automated and electric. For now though perhaps a tax on people entering Harrogate by car would be a good idea and a park and ride to get cars off the road and give the bus companies a chance.
Taking away the our beautiful Nidd Gorge is not the answer they are the only place I can walk without the noise and pollution of traffic.
Sincerely
Judith Joslin