North Yorkshire Council’s time-wasting on Otley Road and Beech Grove continues.
They are currently refusing to set out any specific plans for either project, but claim that they will present their ideas to a Committee of Harrogate & Knaresborough Councillors in mid-September.
The result is that the whole of 2023 will go by with no on-the-ground improvements.
Otley Road
The Otley Road Cycleway was funded by the National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) in November 2017, and the North Yorkshire Council (NYC) finally got around to starting work on a small section of it 4 years later, in September 2021.
In October 2022, NYC launched a 3rd consultation on Otley Road and Beech Grove and in February 2023, despite majority support for Phase 2 of the cycleway, they abandoned it.
On 17th May 2023 they held a brainstorming session at the Green Hut on Harlow Avenue, at a meeting organised by HAPARA. Five years into the project, it is quite unbelievable that they have no ideas of their own and are asking other people what they should do.
We have recently been told by Executive Member for Transport Keane Duncan that NYC still refuses to use the NPIF funding to build Phase 2 of the Otley Road Cycleway, thereby ensuring that Phase 1 is an isolated facility which is not useful because it does not join up to any other infrastructure.
Councillor Duncan told us:
‘Several consultation participants shared the view that highway improvements to the existing side streets in the vicinity of Otley Road would help encourage safe pedestrian access to destinations and bus stops, as well as encouraging cycling.’
cllr keane duncan
There are no side streets parallel to Otley Road which would serve as an alternative cycle route. NYC’s plan is for ribs but no spine. This is not sensible and will not enable cycling.
We are in favour of pedestrian improvements, notably more crossings and shorter wait times. Nevertheless, there are already dedicated traffic-free pavements for people to walk on.
To enable cycling on Otley Road we need dedicated cycle facilities, physically separated from motor vehicles. Otherwise, Otley Road will remain a broken link in the cycle network and a barrier to cycling.
Cold Bath Road
Councillor Duncan also referred to Cold Bath Road as an area where residents and the school would like to see improvements.
Unfortunately, Cold Bath Road is simply being used to distract or deflect attention from the council’s failure to deliver Otley Road Cycleway.
We have suggested a plan for Cold Bath Road: make it one way for motor vehicles in order to create space for wider pavements and dedicated cycle tracks.
NYC do not have a plan for Cold Bath Road. Their comfort zone is talking about future aspirations, but when it comes to the crunch they are unable or unwilling to make meaningful on-the-ground improvements for active travel.
Beech Grove
There is still no plan to make Beech Grove safe for cycling.
Significant numbers of drivers use it as a through route, and this means that it is not suitable as a cycle route for 8 to 80 year olds.
The modal filters were put in in February 2021 for 18 months.
There was 66% support for them, and they were the only meaningful pandemic-era active travel improvement in North Yorkshire. Despite this, NYC took them out in August 2022.
Since then, NYC have given vague assurances that they intend to do something on Beech Grove, without ever specifying what exactly.
A year has now gone by with no action.
We have no confidence in the NYC Area Highways team’s commitment to making meaningful on-the-ground improvements to make Beech Grove safe for cycling.
Left Turn Only at the Bottom of Beech Grove
We have also raised with NYC the issue of multiple drivers ignoring the Left Turn Only at the bottom of Beech Grove.
This is dangerous because people on bikes legally going straight on towards Victoria Avenue could be side-swiped by drivers making illegal movements.
NYC say they will monitor the junction and ask North Yorkshire Police to carry out enforcement.
Next Step
NYC say they will put forward proposals for Otley Road and Beech Grove to Councillors at the Area Constituency Committee meeting on 14th September 2023.
Will this involve a timetable that wastes the whole of 2024?