It appears from North Yorkshire Council’s website that Cllr Keane Duncan is the council’s Cycling Champion. At no stage has he told us that he has that role.
Cllr Duncan was Transport Executive of North Yorkshire County Council following the local elections on 5th May 2022, and has had the same role on North Yorkshire Council (NYC) from 1st April 2023 when the unitary authority North Yorkshire Council (NYC) was formed.
Cllr Duncan has been asked to supply a Vision for Cycling in North Yorkshire, and a Strategy for Cycling. We have made some brief notes on his Track Record on Cycling.
Vision for Cycling
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Strategy for Cycling
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Track Record on Cycling
This is Cllr Duncan’s track record at the time of writing, January 2024.
1) Beech Grove
The first major decision Cllr Duncan had to take was whether to make permanent the brilliant and popular modal filter scheme on Beech Grove.
The modal filters cut out through traffic and transformed the experience of cycling into town for the better. They got 66% support in the consultation.
Cllr Duncan had the scheme ripped out in August 2022.
Although there has been vague talk of an alternative scheme on Beech Grove, there are no design details and there is no timetable. This suggests that there is zero commitment to an alternative scheme.
2) Otley Road
One of the main current cycling schemes in Harrogate when Cllr Duncan took over as Transport Executive was Otley Road Cycleway.
After it was funded in 2017, Phase 1 was finally built (to poor standards) late in 2021. Phase 2 would have provided the link to Beech Grove.
In February 2023, Cllr Duncan made the decision to abandon Phase 2 of Otley Road Cycleway. This leaves Phase 1 as an isolated 300m stretch, which is not useful.
There are plans for large housing estates west of Harlow Carr, and without Otley Road Cycleway they will not be linked to the town centre.
Here is an update on Otley Road from Summer 2023.
3) Active Travel Fund 2 Schemes
In 2020, North Yorkshire successfully bid for just over £1 million from Active Travel Fund 2, for cycling schemes on Victoria Avenue, Oatlands Drive and A59 Knaresborough Road.
Since then, NYC has delivered no on-the-ground improvements with the money. Cllr Duncan has not been able to make any progress.
The ATF2 schemes are mentioned in our Review of 2023.
4) Harrogate Station Gateway
Harrogate Station Gateway was an ambitious active travel and public transport scheme paid for by the Transforming Cities Fund. It would have provided cycle tracks to the rail and bus stations.
After initially supporting the scheme, the NYC Executive decided not to fight an application for judicial review brought by an opponent of it in Summer 2023. This left the plans in tatters.
Now diluted plans are being put forward by NYC. A one-way cycle track on Station Parade is all that is left of the original ambitious plans.
5) Significant Improvements to Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Cycle Network During Cllr Duncan’s Tenure as Transport Executive and Cycling Champion
None.