Get Away Group spokesperson, Steven Baines, has written to Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood to draw attention to significant concerns that the Harrogate business community has over the proposed Station Gateway scheme. He has also written to MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough Tom Gordon.
Baines said the project, which is funded by the Department for Transport and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, ‘removes key parking spaces, increases congestion on major routes and disrupts access to Harrogate’s rail and bus stations’.
He also said North Yorkshire Council, who are driving the project, hasn’t produced an updated economic impact assessment nor conducted a proper public consultation on the revised scheme and hasn’t carried out any meaningful engagement with transport groups, businesses, or commuters to assess the long-term impact of these changes.
The letters were issued ahead of new data which has revealed 94% of surveyed local businesses believe the Station Gateway scheme will ‘not benefit’ local people or visitors.
The full letter to Simon Lightwood is available to read here and the letter to Tom Gordon is available to read here.
