Harrogate Gateway Scheme would need fundamental changes to secure investment

The Harrogate Gateway Scheme would see changes to the roads infrastructure in Harrogate, around the cinema, bus station, railway station, and James Street.

The Council Executive had approved the scheme, but on the 17 August 2023, North Yorkshire Council took the decision to pause the scheme, following a legal challenge.

The Harrogate Gateway Project was most recently discussed at the North Yorkshire Council Executive Committee on the 19 September 2023.

At that meeting, they took a recommendation to bring a paper back to the Executive, considering other options that are available. Cllr Duncan at that meeting said it was too early to “kill off the Gateway” as there was a prize of £11million, and there was a collective will to secure that funding for Harrogate.

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transport, said:

We need to make fundamental changes to the Gateway if we are to secure investment for Harrogate.

The proposal to reduce Station Parade to a single lane has been the most divisive element. To be successful, we would need Station Parade to remain as two lanes.

And plans for James Street would need to be removed from the scheme’s scope altogether.

A new Gateway proposal would allow us to move forward with first-class public realm improvements to Station Square, give One Arch the attention it needs and tackle congestion by upgrading the myriad of uncoordinated traffic signals.

We have a final window of opportunity to produce a deliverable and beneficial scheme. This will not be easy, but I am committed to a cross-party effort. Constructive conversations are already taking place between Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors.

My hope is to achieve a revised project plan with clear support from the public.

I hope that residents and businesses can be encouraged by the pragmatic effort under way and the prospect of key changes to the Gateway that would see more controversial elements removed.