The results of the 3rd consultation on Harrogate Station Gateway, which took place from 20th July to 23rd August 2022, have finally been published. This is the Outcome Report.
A large proportion of respondents believe that Station Gateway will enable them to walk, cycle or take public transport more – which is the main objective of the scheme.
Support for the project has increased since the last consultation, and opinion is now more or less evenly split. A consultation is just that, and not a referendum.
Overall Feelings about the Project
Asked ‘Overall, how do you feel about the latest plans to improve the Harrogate Station Gateway area?’ the responses were:
- 45% positive
- 46% negative
- 9% neutral
Usual Travel Modes of Respondents
The usual travel mode(s) given by respondents were:
- bus 490
- car 1,510
- walking 1,069
- cycling 458
Walkers and cyclists added together come to 1,527, which is slightly more than car drivers/passengers.
Public Spaces
The designs for public spaces were well-received with:
- 51% positive
- 26% negative
- 23% neutral/don’t know
Needs of all Road Users
There were concerns (from people who see themselves primarily as motorists, presumably) about congestion, and a view that the designs don’t prioritise motorists enough.
Currently, motorists are prioritised almost to the exclusion of anyone else. The re-balancing of priorities may be difficult to accept for some, but it is much-needed.
Effect of Better Walking & Cycling Infrastructure
Better walking and cycling infrastructure is expected to have a positive effect on respondents’ travel in and around town:
- 41% positive
- 37% negative
- 22% no change/don’t know
Impact on Business
The organisers of the consultation produced evidence that better active travel infrastructure usually has a positive effect on local businesses. Respondents thought the likely impact on business would be:
- 41% positive
- 40% negative
- 19% neutral/don’t know
Age of Respondents
The people who responded to the survey tended to be older rather than younger.
Young people, including those too young to drive, are under-represented. It’s the young that will be most impacted as the climate spirals out of control.
The Three Consultations
This was the 3rd consultation. Numbers of respondents to successive consultations have been increasing.
1st Consultation
There were 1,101 responses to the first consultation in March/April 2021. The responses were as follows:
- 49% in favour of the one-lane option
- 27% in favour of the two-lane option
- 24% against both
2nd Consultation
There were 1,320 responses to the second consultation in November/December 2021. The responses were as follows:
- 39% positive about the scheme overall
- 56% negative about the scheme overall
3rd Consultation
There were 2,044 responses to this latest 3rd consultation in July/August 2022. The reponses were as follows:
- 45% positive about the scheme overall
- 46% negative about the scheme overall
Next Steps
According to the consultation page and other sources the next steps are:
- 20th January 2023, findings presented to the BES Executive
- February 2023, publication of Traffic Regulation Orders
- 5th May 2023 (10am), special meeting of the Harrogate & Knaresborough Area Committee to consider Station Gateway
- May 2023, NYCC Executive to take a decision to submit a full business case to funders West Yorkshire Combined Authority, so the funding can be released
- November 2023, construction to start
If you’d like to help, please contact your local North Yorkshire Councillor and ask them to support the Station Gateway project at the Area Committee meeting on 5th May 2023.