North Yorkshire Council (NYC) has put forward an Active Travel Fund 5 (ATF5) scheme which involves revamping the Sainsbury’s junction of the A661 Wetherby Road, Harrogate – but without making any provision for cycling.
ATF5
ATF5 was announced on 12th February 2025.
Allocations to English councils were based on their Active Travel England (ATE) Capability Ratings. NYC’s rating is the lowest, Level 1. As such, it received an allocation of £369,709.
It submitted its schemes at the end of March 2025. They are currently going through ATE’s assurance process.
The focus of ATF5 is schemes that can be delivered quickly, such as crossings or School Streets. Funding is supposed to be ‘committed’ by March 2026, and construction completed by 31st March 2027.
As well as the Sainsbury’s scheme, NYC has put forward other road crossing and School Street projects.
NYC say:
‘Improving delivery of active travel schemes is a key element of NYC’s Capability Rating and is something that would go toward increasing our Capability Rating in future, which would have a positive impact on future active travel funding’.
Motor Vehicles, Pedestrians…But No Cycling
The scheme at the Sainsbury’s junction of Wetherby Road involves:
- pedestrian lights, where currently there are only uncontrolled crossing points and
- MOVA traffic signal technology to get more motor vehicles through the junction faster
- no cycle crossing
The junction severs two important cycle routes – the Yorkshire Showground Greenway/Railway Road and the Stonefall Park shared use path.
NYC’s excuse for failing to make cycle provision is ‘budget’. It’s funny how there is always money for motor vehicles, sometimes a bit of cash for pedestrian provision, but never any funding for cycling.
It is a question of priorities, and cycling is systematically deprioritised.
This is really a motor vehicle scheme – part of NYC’s ongoing efforts to get more motor vehicles through and around Harrogate faster, at the expense of sustainable transport.
Harrogate Cycle Action Make the Case to ATE
We have contacted ATE to protest against NYC’s failure to include cycling in the Sainsbury’s junction scheme, and to ask that it is not funded unless cycle crossing facilities are provided.