North Yorkshire Council appears to be committed to going ahead with Harrogate Station Gateway, and work is likely to start early in 2024.
Nevertheless, opponents of the scheme are still trying to knock it off course.
It’s disappointing that whenever a scheme with a cycling element is proposed in Harrogate, certain people are highly antagonistic towards it. Even if these people don’t ride bikes themselves, they could be generous enough to support the right of other people – including children – to do so safely. Apparently not.
Threatened Legal Action
On 30th June 2023 a local paper reported that Chris Bentley and Terry Bramall had given notice of their intention to seek a judicial review of the council’s decision-making.
The grounds are said to include:
- not holding an inquiry on proposed Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs)
- unlawful publicity of TROs
- unlawful consultation that failed to take into account material considerations
There have been three rounds of consultation in total. The council was already aware of the threat of legal action before the third consultation, and presumably took great care to ensure that the correct processes were followed.
Mr Bentley is quoted in the paper as follows:
‘There is so much other stuff that the town needs.’
chris bentley
This is not a very convincing argument.
Funding for Station Gateway comes from the Transforming Cities Fund, and is specifically dedicated to enabling active and sustainable travel to rail and bus stations. It cannot be used for ‘other stuff’.
A judicial review is not a re-run of the decision, but a challenge to the way it was made.
After the initial letter, the next step would be to seek permission from the court to bring a case, usually within 3 months. If the case is not arguable, the court will refuse permission.
Lib Dems Change Their Minds About Supporting Station Gateway
On 5th May 2023, the Harrogate & Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee (ACC), which has a Lib Dem majority, voted in favour of Harrogate Station Gateway.
The Lib Dems wanted concerns raised by individuals to be addressed, and the ACC to have a meaningful role in the project.
The Conservative Executive then gave the project the green light on 30th May 2023.
On 4th July 2023, the Lib Dems then changed their minds and withdrew their support for Station Gateway. They said that this was because their conditions had not been complied with by the Executive.
While there may be elements of truth in that, we would like all Councillors to put the interests of active travel in Harrogate first – not political squabbling.
For the moment, it seems that the Lib Dems’ change of mind comes too late to have an effect. The decision to proceed has already been taken.