The commitment of North Yorkshire Council (NYC) to its flagship public realm and active travel project, Harrogate Station Gateway, is in question.
Local authority officers have worked on Station Gateway for 3 years. It has been through the democratic process, including three consultations.
An application for judicial review of NYC’s processes was launched recently by Hornbeam Park Developments, and NYC quashed its previous decision to proceed with the project.
The decision was taken by NYC Assistant Chief Executive Barry Khan on 7th August 2023, but kept secret until 22nd August.
What happens now? There are two possibilities:
- the NYC Executive remains committed to the scheme, and will re-take its decision to proceed in a legally watertight way, and defend any legal action, or
- the Executive’s commitment to the project has evaporated and the 7th August decision was simply a first step in dumping Station Gateway altogether
Given the astounding u-turn by Andrew Jones MP, the second possibility seems more likely.
If NYC Remains Committed to Station Gateway
If NYC remains committed to Station Gateway, we will continue to support them every step of the way.
If NYC’s Commitment to the Scheme Has Evaporated
If NYC’s commitment to the scheme has evaporated, we believe that there should be consequences.
1) Strip NYC of the TCF Funding
First, NYC should stripped of the funding, which comes via West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) from the Transforming Cities Fund (TCF).
TCF is specifically aimed at providing accessible, attractive and cleaner alternatives to car journeys. If NYC was not interested, it should not have accepted the funding and started the project in the first place.
NYC’s track record on using active travel funding is appalling. For example:
- they were given NPIF funding for an Otley Road Cycleway in 2017. Six years later, they abandoned the cycleway having built a short, isolated section that is of no value without the rest
- they were awarded over £1 million from Active Travel Fund 2 in 2020. Three years later, there is not a single on-the-ground improvement to show for it
TCF is funding for sustainable transport, and if NYC abandoned Station Gateway it would be proof that they cannot be trusted to use it wisely.
If permitted to keep it, they would sit on it for 5 years and/or spend it on widening a junction for motor vehicles.
2) Make NYC Repay the Money Already Spent
The Yorkshire Post says that NYC have already spent £2 million in consultants’ fees, paid to WSP. Consultants are the only winners in NYC’s series of aborted active travel projects.
The £2 million has been reimbursed to NYC out of TCF.
The council believes that it will not have to repay it, but we call on WYCA and the DfT to demand repayment from NYC.
There have to be consequences for a council that wastes everyone’s time and money, then pulls the plug on a project having achieved nothing whatever except lining consultants’ pockets.
3) Strip NYC of its Level 1 Rating with Active Travel England
When Active Travel England published its local authority ratings in March 2023, NYC was awarded Level 1.
The ratings were based on councils’ leadership, ambition, and track record of delivery. Level 1 indicates some leadership and basic plans.
If NYC abandons Harrogate Station Gateway, that will be the nail in the coffin of its reputation for active travel.
When Active Travel England reviews local authority ratings, we ask it to take Harrogate Station Gateway into account:
- if NYC proceeds with Station Gateway, it should keep its Level 1 rating
- If NYC abandons Station Gateway, it should lose its Level 1 active travel rating
Implications of Level 0
Level 0 signifies no obvious leadership, no significant plans, and only lower complexity schemes delivered. It means a local authority is barred from applying for active travel funding.
North Yorkshire has made no meaningful on-the-ground active travel improvements in 10 years. If the council also abandons its flagship public realm and active travel project, then in our view Level 0 would be a more accurate rating than Level 1.
We do not want North Yorkshire to be awarded more active travel funding unless and until the council proves that it is capable of using it to deliver on-the-ground improvements. At the moment, it looks as though any public money handed to NYC will be wasted.