Businesses 'don't support' plans to cut traffic

The campaign group is calling on North Yorkshire Council to scrap the scheme

A plan to cut traffic in a spa town has "very little" support from local businesses who fear its impact on their trade.

Campaign group Get Away has opposed the £12m Harrogate Gateway scheme and said 91% of the 200 business owners it surveyed were against it, with more than half believing it would have a "detrimental" effect.

The group formed to object to North Yorkshire Council's plans to improve public spaces around the railway station and create better facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.

The council has been contacted for comment.

The group has already begun legal action against the council over its issuing of traffic regulation orders last month ahead of the work starting, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It has now also written to Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood and Tom Gordon, the MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, to highlight the concerns raised by businesses.

The campaign group has enlisted the support of Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood

Get Away spokesperson Steven Baines said: "Given the huge groundswell of opposition, we call on North Yorkshire Council to stop wasting any more money on a scheme which is neither wanted nor needed.

"It is clear from our research that the council has not taken the views of local businesses into account and just wants to push this through against the wishes of the community.

"Quite clearly, the money would be better spent on the things we really need for Harrogate such as economic growth, support for local businesses and better public services including roads, policing and healthcare."

Work is set to start on similar schemes in Skipton and Selby later this year after council leaders gave the go-ahead earlier this month.

No decision was taken on the Harrogate project due to the legal challenge.

North Yorkshire Council has been awarded more than £38m in funding from the Transforming Cities Fund programme for projects in the three town centres.

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