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Legal action launched to stop traffic scheme

Joe Willis
Local Democracy Reporting Service
North Yorkshire Council A digitally drawn image of a town centre, from the point of view of above. A road runs through the middle, from the bottom of the image into the distance. To its left is a wide pavement and a high white building, the train station, with glass windows. It has a sign, on its side, reading "Harrogate" with the national railways symbol. To the right of the road is a taxi rank and a pedestrianised square, with groups of people milling about. There are flower beds and trees incorporated into the paved area. There are tall, old-looking buildings with new-looking shops at the ground level around the square. People are using the pavements, cycle lanes and seating areas.North Yorkshire Council
An artist's impression of Station Parade, Harrogate, after the Gateway scheme is completed.

A campaign group has launched legal action in a bid to stop the £12m Harrogate Station Gateway Scheme.

Harrogate Get Away, which is made up of residents and business owners, has instructed lawyers to challenge North Yorkshire Council over its issuing of traffic regulation orders last month.

The orders paved the way for changes to bus station access, a new bus lane on Station Parade and new cycling infrastructure.

The authority confirmed it had received a pre-action protocol letter in respect of the approval decision.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, business owner and campaigner Steven Baines said the council had failed to consider the full impact of the proposal and consult fully with the public.

He added: "North Yorkshire Council may have shied away from consulting with local businesses so we are facilitating our own consultation to give us a voice.

"As the UK economy continues to worry the business community, the extra financial pressure from the disruption this scheme will cause could be the final straw for many Harrogate traders."

Geograph/ N Chadwick Cars drive under an archway near a station entrance.Geograph/ N Chadwick
The campaign group called for the project to be scrapped

The group called for the project to be scrapped, claiming it would result in less parking and lower footfall.

Corporate director of environment at the council, Karl Battersby, said: "We have received a pre-action protocol letter in respect of the Harrogate Transforming Cities Fund traffic regulation orders approval decision in December.

"We will provide the necessary information and respond to the claims made in the letter."

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