HTIP, the Harrogate Transport Improvement Programme, has cost nearly half a million pounds over 5 years without producing any on-the-ground improvements to date.
Freedom of Information
A Freedom of Information request shows that the cost in consultants’ fees alone is £459,186.
North Yorkshire Council does not know how many hours of officer time have been spent on HTIP.
The full FOI response is as follows:
‘The Harrogate Transport Improvements Programme (HTIP) study, has focussed on assessing the improvements that larger scale investment in sustainable transport could deliver, following the government’s guidance on business case development.
HTIP1 considered a number of travel corridors in Harrogate and Knaresborough, to try to establish where the greatest opportunities for investment might be, and also what types of investment could be most beneficial. It has been recognised that ultimately, whilst smaller schemes do have a role to play, to deliver more significant congestion reduction improvements investment on a larger scale is needed. However, the costs to deliver such a scheme are high, and far beyond our own funding for schemes. Therefore, the aim of the study process is to develop a green book compliant business case for funding, for submission to Government.
At the end of the HTIP1 process, it was recommended that development of a multimodal corridor on the A61 Leeds Road would be a good initial focus for further feasibility work. That work is currently underway. The HTIP2 study is focussed mainly on walking and cycling provision, junction improvements, bus priority, and park and ride feasibility (this element looks at the wider Harrogate area) along the A61 Leeds Road.
The cost of the studies are as follows:
HTIP 1 – £202,836
HTIP 2 – £256,350
Officer time focused on these projects:
Information not held. North Yorkshire Council does not hold the amount of officer time that has been focused on these projects therefore it is not possible to calculate the time’.
2019 Congestion Survey
HTIP emerged from the 2019 Harrogate & Knaresborough Congestion Survey. 77% of the 15,500 respondents to that survey wanted better cycling and walking infrastructure and facilities.
Following the survey, North Yorkshire commissioned consultants WSP to start HTIP.
HTIP Progress to Date
The first WSP report, HTIP1, was handed to the council in early 2021. It recommended developing a Major Scheme Business Case.
A second report, HTIP2, was commissioned from the same consultants. Apparently it focuses on cycling and walking provision, junction improvements and bus priority on Leeds Road, and Park & Ride in Harrogate generally.
The papers for a Harrogate & Knaresborough Area Committee meeting of Councillors on 12th September 2024 include an Active Travel Update. In relation to HTIP, the update says:
‘HTIP2 study report is currently being reviewed internally by officers for comment. Once the report has been reviewed the findings will be report back to members in autumn/winter’.
The West Harrogate Transport Strategy
Different consultants were commissioned to write the West Harrogate Transport Strategy for the West Harrogate urban expansion.
The Transport Strategy (2024/25 to 2035/36) covers 30 junctions, including six on Leeds Road. HTIP is focused on Leeds Road.
It would be logical to integrate the Leeds Road proposals from HTIP into the Transport Strategy, but this has not happened. North Yorkshire excluded any information about HTIP from its brief to the consultants writing the Transport Strategy.
Since the consultants were given no information about sustainable travel proposals for Leeds Road, they designed capacity increases for motor vehicles at multiple junctions.
Double Standards
Where sustainable travel is concerned, North Yorkshire delays proposals for years, and claims it does not have the funding. Where motor vehicles are concerned, specific designs go straight into a Transport Strategy for delivery, with no questions about funding asked.
The council does not apply the same standards to sustainable travel and capacity increases for motor vehicles.
It is now incumbent on North Yorkshire Council to show that HTIP is not an elaborate and eye-wateringly expensive way of making it look as though they are taking sustainable travel seriously while actually doing nothing of value.