Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director – Business and Environmental Services.

Considered:  A presentation by Melissa Burham (Area Manager of Highways) concerning the Active Travel Plan for North Yorkshire. MB identified the benefits to residents of walking, using bus routes and cycling to both the environment and health and wellbeing. MB advised the Committee that Active Travel Fund 4 was announced on the 6 of February this year and local authorities were invited to submit bids to identify active travel schemes that would help uptake active travel day trips. Of the £2 billion scheme announced by the Government NYCC’s indicative allocation was around £1 million. The Council was in the process of deciding which schemes could be rolled out immediately given the tight timescales involved to use this money. Funding was expected to be announced on the 17 March and the  schemes put forward in order of priority were:

·       Victoria Avenue – At detailed design stage for a cycling route, public realm route and pedestrian crossing improvements either side of Victoria Avenue.  This has additional benefit as it links into the transforming City proposals as well so the Town Centre.

·       Darlington Road in Richmond – the proposals were for a key cycle link and the provision of a 20 mph speed limit and improved crossings outside the secondary school

·       A59 Maple Close – a cycle route between Mother Shiptons Cave and the Golf Course – an offroad cycle and pedestrian route

MB  responded to questions from Members:

·       Cllr John Mann identified that  improvements to the A61 Leeds Road Corridor  could alleviate the significant congestion that occurs on that road at rush hour

·       Cllr Paul Haslam asked that if the Otley Road improvements were no longer going ahead could that money be used to make smaller improvements around the District, examples would include better signage to alert road users to the Green Way or Beryl Burton cycles routes. MB advised that the Council could look at small wins in this way but money earmarked for the Otley Road corridor had to be spent in that location.

·       MB explained that when assessing all schemes the air quality management was an assessment criteria– there were aspirations to make quick wins in this area and they were consulting the HBC Environmental Team on this issue

·       In response to a question from Cllr Monika Slater regarding the requirements of the capability assessment part of the funding application MB agreed to provide further information.

·       In response to a question about the indicative allocation of  £1.8M it was  confirmed that at this point it was indicative and that the actual funding allocation could be significantly different from this – depending on how much was awarded the Council would make further considerations on how that money was spent

·       Cllr Haslam emphasised the importance of KPIs when implementing schemes that could include improvements to numbers and targets, for example the number of cars removed from the road as a result, etc.

·       In response to questions about the involvement of local Councillors MB confirmed that local Members were to be consulted on plans at the next stage – this would include a walk around of appropriate areas.

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In response to comments and questions about the overall coordination of planned schemes MB confirmed that the Council had launched the Strategic project map in late 2022 and this illustrated the relationship between each of the schemes, particularly to members of the public.

The Chair thanked MB and the Oatlands road safety and active travel campaign for their presentation and attendance at the meeting

Resolved –

That the report on the Active Travel Plan in the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency area be noted.