Agenda item

4

Traffic Regulation Orders – Harrogate Transforming Cities Fund:

Considered - 

The Report of the Corporate Director – Environment, Traffic Regulations Orders Transforming Cities Fund.  Councillor Keane Duncan, Executive Member for Highways and Transportation and officers Richard Binks (Head of Major Projects and Infrastructure), Tania Weston (Transforming Cities Fund Programme Manager), and Matt Roberts (Economic & Regeneration Project Manager) undertook a joint presentation.

Councillor Duncan stated that the Executive was seeking the views of the Committee before making a decision. He explained that Harrogate was facing problems relating to congestion, air quality and road safety. There were challenges for town centre retail and Harrogate could do better on public transport, walking and cycling. The “status quo” was not sustainable and that the Gateway offered an opportunity although not perfect to transform the town centre, improve transport access, revitalise Harrogate as a destination and is a potential step to address the issues facing Harrogate at present and in the future. There are strong views both for and against demonstrated through the consultation and at the meeting with the public split down the middle. He emphasised the importance of the funding that had been secured and the ability to use it and that the council was seeking to find a way forward within the context of strict funding and deadline criteria set by government. There was limited time before the Executive decision on 30 May and this would be used to make a strong case with the benefit of the views from the meeting. There were a number of areas raised by members of the Committee already:

·         The Odeon roundabout cycling infrastructure – Full details of the options considered will be provided and the design will be reviewed in advance of the meeting on 30 May.

·         The wider sustainable and active travel infrastructure – Gateway includes significant public transport, walking and cycling improvements how does Gateway integrate effectively into the wider town? How the Gateway could be a catalyst for further sustainable travel Improvement in the wider town will be set out by 30th of May, if it proceeds

·         Congestion – The project proposes improvements to signals and Pelican Crossings in the immediate area to ensure better coordination but what about the impact impacts on the wider area. The actual Gateway project is fixed however cannot be looked at isolation. By 30th of May it will be outlined how the review of the Junctions immediately before the Gateway area along the Ripon Road and on King's Road will be undertaken. There will be a commitment of funds from existing budgets to look at feasibility works and a report could be brought forward to the ACC as soon as possible.

Councillor Duncan confirmed that he wanted to work with the Committee prior to the Executive meeting and that all comments from members would be considered prior to the production of the Executive report. The Committee was being requested to endorse the Gateway as a potential solution to address Harrogate's issues and for ongoing input as local councillors.

Richard Binks introduced the Gateway project and the officer team. He stated that the presentation would identify the economic drivers, the Strategic drivers and the scheme itself. This would also include technical considerations such as traffic modelling and the Traffic Regulation Orders.

Matt Roberts introduced the first part of a presentation to the Committee. He confirmed that this would be the first real investment in 30 years and would seek to address what was the current reception to visitors of Harrogate in terms of railings, dual carriageways and tired public realm. The following was identified:

·         The project was supported/incorporated within local strategies, the local plan, the Town Centre Master Plan, the economic growth strategy, local transport plans including Harrogate transport Improvement package and emerging climate change strategies. It was also well established government policy.

·         The intention was to seek a balanced approach to travel around the town with a genuine choice of options supported by infrastructure

·         In 2019 the biggest response ever to a consultation was received with 77% responding that cycling and walking facilities should be improved and 75% stating that smarter choices should be encouraged

·         The local cycling walking investment plan identified that the average Journey length in Harrogate town was 2.6 kilometres and that currently 0.5% of people access Harrogate station by bike. This was in the context of around one and a half million entries and exits to the busiest station in North Yorkshire.

·         It was reported that 79 000 people live within 20 minutes of the station

·         Over a five-year period to 2019 CO2 emissions on the district's A roads reduced by four percent that was below both sub-regional and regional levels. It was also reported that more residents in Harrogate compared to similar authorities cycled with nearly two percent of residents cycling at least three times a week in 2020

·         Hosting major cycling events has meant the town is recognized for championing cycling, demonstrated by a strong cycling retail sector

·         People wanting to cycle is growing. Recent survey suggests that of office workers who do not currently cycle would consider it as part of their commute there were safer cycling routes

·         The Harrogate district is worth four billion pounds in economic value and there are over six million Leisure visitors. Sustainable economic growth is being suppressed by local transport property and demographic conditions. Six of the lower super output areas within the project area boundary rank among the third most deprived areas in the country. The aim is to link some of these areas to the town centre and onwards to major employment centres and education centres in a sustainable and affordable way. If access to the town is not improved for those traveling other than Private Car the growth diversity and subsequent resilience of Harrogate's economy will be severely impacted

·         It is forecast that between 2021 and 2031 there will be a six percent decrease in the traditional working age population, there is an outward of migration of the younger people potentially as a result of a lack of an environment that supports a sustainable workforce

·         Driving licenses amongst younger people peaked in 1994 and there is a changing workforce, by 2025 between three and four workers will use the car less

·         There was a 12% decline in the number of retail units in the town between 2013 and 2021 this trend may increase with the use of permitted development rights

·         Town centres are changing and people want a more rounded experience when visiting therefore adaptation and diversification to support the visitor economy is required. The view is that the status quo is not sustainable, a recent report by KPMG suggests that 16% of jobs in Harrogate are expected to continue being done from home post Covid and that accelerated online retail adoption could result in the loss of 28% of total retail offering

·         There are studies that highlight the value of better public realm and people who walk and cycle to the High Street tend to make more visits and spend more. In  21 other areas where similar town centre changes have taken place such as Stratford upon Avon, Bath and Bury St Edmunds evidence suggests that proposals will support a sustainable future for the town

Tania Weston explained that this is a national capital funding program so the funding must be spent on physical infrastructure and cannot be spent on things such as improving bus services. It comes from the Department for Transport and administered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.  It was considered that the aims aligned with those of the former Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council in terms of the overarching vision for the town and connecting people to economic and education opportunities through affordable sustainable transport.

The Harrogate TCF is not just a cycling scheme it's very much about accessibility. It is also not about preventing people from driving it's about giving people wider options. It aims to reduce the dominance in the use of cars, to lower traffic speeds and to provide safer spaces for the most vulnerable users. This means those who are walking or cycling and particularly looking at improving accessibility for those with disabilities. Some of the design takes that into account improving public spaces as well as improving sustainability. It creates spaces that promote social interaction and encourages people to stay and provides space for events.

The funding requires projects to fit within a proximity to station hubs so there is a geographical constraint in terms of what the council can and can't use the funding for. Cycle infrastructure must meet the current government guidelines in terms of public realm. 

The Station Parade part of the project reallocates space rather than stopping the road completely. There have been three rounds of consultation undertaken, it is recognized that some of the consultations did take place during Covid in lockdown conditions but there were face-to-face sessions and drop-in days as well as online. Over the three rounds of public consultation there were increased numbers of responses. In the final consultation 45% of people felt negative about the proposals however positive and neutral comments accounted for 54% of responses.

There are concerns around potential business impacts and there will be construction impact as well. If the scheme were to go ahead the council would work with the contractors to minimize disruption.

Richard Binks explained that a component of this project is focused upon the allocation of road space on station parade and it goes from a dual casual to a single carriageway. A substantive desktop study in terms of computer modelling has been commissioned with at least 15 live count surveys with an extended period over a number of years indeed:

·         The study suggests that the proposals are accurate and validated particularly as the worst case scenario has been chosen to model against, that being the 2018 survey results that was pre-pandemic when vehicle usage was at a peak

·         The level of vehicle usage is declining, about four percent less over the last five years.

·         The model does not take into account the successful outcome of this project as the aim is to develop a switch of choice from the vehicle to public transport, cycling and walking.

·         The model assumes continuation of current usage based on the worst case scenario.

·         The model supports future investment opportunities coming forward in terms of potential growth on the network and achieves a very high level of validation against national transport standards

The model covers a substantial part of the town centre from Ripon Road all the way through which in the car is about a 15-minute Journey at present. It is predicted that there will be a slight increase in that Journey time with walking and cycling having marginal gains:

·         From King's Road up Cheltenham parade and onto station parade there are eight sets of signals, three of those are pelican Crossings that are not coordinated particularly well at the moment

·         There are accessibility issues and of the eight signals five of them are captured within the red yellow boundary of the scheme to coordinate better with new software and increasing the opportunity for green waving

·         Everything can be linked and coordinated better

·         The main blocker to free flow is the controlling signals ensuring free flowing traffic.

The Traffic Regulation Order is an enabler to the wider design proposal. There are various orders:

·         A parking and waiting order that effectively controls the kerbside space in terms of the ability to park your vehicle, loading, etc.

·         The loss of 40 spaces across the red line boundary of the scheme

·         A move in taxi space from James Street and reallocation to the western side of Harrogate

·         On the northern portion of station parade two loading Bays are being introduced

·         The potential relaxation of wait and load restrictions

·         In James Street a reduction in the physical length of the loading bay by 14 metres

·         A one-way system on the northern section of station parade

·         A one way system in the southbound direction down to Bower Street to accommodate the new bus lane

·         A fourth consultation for the traffic regulation order

·         35 statutory bodies have been consulted none of which reported negatively against the project

·         The consultation has resulted in 41 public objections to the order with themes including loading  and parking loss

·         A one-way system in Cheltenham Mount will result in a small increase in vehicles heading northbound of two to three vehicles per minute

·         A bus lane is proposed to be introduced on station parade north

·         A bus lane has been taken out of Cheltenham Parade as the modelling indicated no actual journey gain

The business case has been successful in securing funding, it is a strong economic driver, supports a vibrant, sustainable economy and recognises the climate emergency

The Chair thanked the Officers and the presentation was followed by questions from the Members.

-      Councillor Walker highlighted his concern about the amount of spend and the possibility of costs running over due to such factors as inflation. He asked when the financial business case had been revisited and how any potential shortfall would be funded.

·           Richard Binks confirmed that the outline business case had been developed and a full business case was to be presented to the Executive on the 30 May.

·           The funding is capped therefore the budget cannot be exceeded and in terms of costs there was an inbuilt quantified risk assessment that took account of factors such as inflation built into the business case

·           The Council is working with a contractor and receiving monthly market valuations, including potential construction costs prior to the final tender price

·           The budget for the project would be closely monitored and the team was working with partners to ensure the project delivered on cost and quality

-       Councillor Mann highlighted public questions and statements about a possible deterioration in the air quality in the centre of town if there was slower moving traffic on Station Parade

·         Matt Roberts confirmed that air quality impact had been measured with diffusion tubes measuring nitrogen dioxide along Station Parade. The last prediction was that although idling can increase CO2 levels the scheme is beneficial to air quality along the stretch of the project area

-       Councillor Harrison asked a question regarding buses that currently go up Cheltenham Crescent to station parade and then into the bus station. It was confirmed that there would be two lanes leading up to the bus station with one being the bus lane that fed buses straight up and into the station.

-       Councillor Harrison sought clarification about the two sets of traffic lights that are outside of the scope of this scheme um on the junction of Kings Road and Cheltenham Parade and the King's Road Parliament Street

·         Richard Binks confirmed that as the traffic lights are outside of the red lane boundary the Transforming Cities Fund money cannot be used. They will be considered as part of the report to the Executive and a way forward will be outlined for both of those junctions in terms of potentially using the highways capital programme funding money

-       Councillor Schofield highlighted his concern that there had been an economic assessment report but not a business impact report or business impact assessment undertaken. Why had this not been undertaken in consultation with all local businesses within the town centre? He was aware that business within Harrogate particularly independent businesses all offering individual services that can't be found online were concerned about future business. In addition there are other recent schemes that require to be revisited such as the Otley road cycle path.

·         Richard Binks confirmed that a business impact report for a scheme like this is not normally undertaken. In addition the indirect impact on businesses is difficult to quantify reliably. The aim is to encourage more people to enter the town walking cycling and remain in the area. A full economic appraisal is included within the report looking at similar types of schemes in other areas and the profile of the local economy in Harrogate. He confirmed that there were various reasons why other schemes, for example, the Otley Road scheme had not been taken forward that was more to do with design considerations rather than any business impact assessment.

-       Councillor Aldred asked the following questions:

Would the scheme cause more traffic possibly backing up all the way to Ripley?

Would any of the work be conducted at night?

Was an environmental impact assessment carried and if not why not?

Did we refuse a public meeting with the residents of the Granville area?

·         Richard Binks confirmed that in terms of the traffic impact any queueing would be contained within the station parade Cheltenham Mount area there would be no backing up beyond the limit of the project. There was no planned night time working.

·         Tania Weston stated that environmental impact assessments are specific to certain planning applications and the local planning Authority had deemed that it the planning application was not one that required an environmental impact assessment. In response to the question about meeting residents in the Granville area it was noted that this may have been a reference to potential meetings with Don McKenzie and Andrew Jones. 

-       Councillor Marsh sought clarification about the connection to educational establishments and employment areas mentioned in the report.

·         Matt Roberts stated that these were from Hornbeam Park onwards to Leeds and York via cycling routes up to Cardell Park, the largest employment centre in Harrogate. It was also for people in the town centre to use bus and rail for forward opportunities to education and employment across the sub-region

Members discussed the following:

·         Concerns that the project only delivers landscaping solutions such as trees, paving and a cycle lane with no onward connection. It did not fit within a wider strategic plan and that there were few people that would visit the unique areas of Harrogate. Investment was welcomed but it must support the heritage and environment. There was reference to funding to address issues in Knaresborough.

·         The scheme did not deal with congestion and increases car journey times and there were no changes to average walking or cycling times

·         A clear strategic plan was required for active travel across the constituency, with the positioning of the Gateway within the plan

·         There was reference to the delivery of the scheme and increasing costs

·         The advantages and disadvantages of a park and ride scheme

·         There was a need to do something with the Gateway and accepting that it was not something that everyone would agree on it is the only one at present and that there is a commitment by the Executive to look at possible adaptations and changes. It could be used as a starting point to move forward

·         Difficult decisions have been made previously in Harrogate recognising that there is some opposition at the time. It is recognised that the scheme has some opposition but that should not stop the council from making an important decision

·         Some of the objections to the scheme have been addressed such as concern about increased car journey lengths and potential gridlock. The work has been done to address these concerns and the information is in the report.

·         The Committee had been informed that the traffic signals on King’s Road and the bottom of Parliament Street were not part of the scheme however would be looked at

·         The scheme had advantages and disadvantages however once finished would make the town more welcoming to residents, visitors and new businesses

·         The project would rejuvenate the town centre and underpin the future of Harrogate Convention Centre

·         If the council rejects the funding from the government then this may impact future improvement funding/schemes in the future

-       Councillor Haslam endorsed the recommendations in the report, he stated that the vision for the master plan had been set in 2015 and had been continually reviewed. The Gateway is the next investment in the programme and will create a transport hub with the opportunity to transition from one transport mode to another. The services will be inclusive and accessible to all, with better public transport and easier, safer active transport. The prioritisation of buses will improve reliability with only small increases in car journey times. It will also support tourism and the conference industry. Business difficulties are recognised but the town must do things to create new experiences. He stated that no project was perfect however the Committee has been informed that Officers will be flexible and work to make sure the project works.

Councillor Haslam proposed the recommendations in the report

Seconded by Councillor Mann

Members discussed the following:

·         The consultation undertaken was appreciated however it needs  be undertaken at the very local level to understand the pressure that the scheme could put on businesses

·         The impact of traffic lights at other junctions

·         The impact of other schemes that had not gone as well

·         The pedestrianisation of James Street

·         A recognition of the need for coordinated investment in the town centre particularly near the station

·         The need for shopping centre improvements

·         A potential alternative cycling solution with cycling infrastructure such as bike racks/stores

·         Air pollution due to idling traffic

·         The impact to pedestrians with prioritising crossings for car users

-       During the debate on the tabled motion, Councillor Lacey put forward some wording that constituted a different but substantially similar motion to that already proposed. Upon consideration of Councillor Lacey’s wording, the proposer and seconder of the original motion withdrew that motion in support of the following proposal:

This committee believes that Harrogate needs a vibrant, prosperous, safe, attractive and accessible town centre and would welcome further investment in it to achieve that goal through a Gateway scheme, subject to the following conditions:

1. That the genuine concerns of individuals and groups continue to be listened to, debated and responded to where possible within the constraints of the scheme funding.
2. That the ACC has a meaningful role in the implementation of the scheme, including the above mentioned conversations, and that a full report on progress is received at its meeting in the Autumn.
3. That a rigorous monitoring system for expected and actual impact on traffic flows, the environmental, active travel take-up and businesses in the area of the scheme is put in place pre-shovel and made open and transparent from day one.

-       Councillor Lacey explained the need for a strategic vision over the long term and the current state of the town centre. It is recognised that there are some groups that feel they have not been listened to and that the council can do better. The proposal gives the ACC a meaningful role in representing residents to deliver the best possible scheme.

Proposed by Councillor Lacey

Seconded by Councillor Haslam

Members discussed the following:

·         Parts of the scheme such as One Arch, bus lanes, pedestrianisation, alternative cycling routes and links to other areas

·         The offer of discussion prior to the Executive meeting on 30 May and any potential input over the summer period to bring the report back to the Committee

·         The recognition that there are genuine concerns and the ability to make some changes however substantial changes would mean rejecting the scheme. There are things, therefore, that can be altered to a certain extent within the scheme as presented

·         A change to the wording in the proposal was suggested to include the words sustainable and healthier

The amendment to include the words sustainable and healthier was proposed by Councillor Gostlow

Seconded by Councillor Lacey

-       Councillor Duncan confirmed that all suggestions that had been raised at the meeting would be taken on board for the report on the 30th of May. It was recognised that the timescale was tight to meet the meeting deadlines but this was the start of that conversation and would be an ongoing discussion with the ACC as the key forum for information, liaison and scrutiny throughout this process.

·         Any suggestions that come forward will be considered it terms of how they might fit with criteria, budget and timelines.

·         The three core areas identified at the beginning of the meeting would be considered as part of the report together with any issues identified at the meeting

·         There are time constraints to produce the report taking into account the suggestions/comments received and this will be undertaken

·         The Executive would have to make a decision on the 30th of May to ensure that the scheme can be delivered in line with the Department for Transport requirements. This means that most of the spend takes place by the end 2023/24 there can be some spend into the subsequent Financial year but the majority has to be in 2023/24

·         The proposal being considered at the meeting will be worked on. There will be a decision on 30 May in principle around the decision of the submission of that business case to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. This will be on the basis that the ACC is  content that it has been given a full opportunity to be consulted on the traffic regulation orders that underpin the scheme, the formal part of the consultation

·         The ACC would be actively involved as the scheme is progressed and have oversight of any subsequent discussions around delivery, construction, etc. 

In response to a question Councillor Duncan confirmed that there is a clear indication

from the Department for Transport that they expect most of the money to be spent in 2023/24. There is potentially some expenditure that could go into 2024/25 but the majority of the expenditure is required to be in 2023/24 that is a very tight time scale to achieve.

It was confirmed that the Committee would vote on the proposal as amended to include the words sustainable and healthier.

A vote was taken and 10 members voted for the motion, three voted against and there were no abstentions.

Resolved –

This committee believes that Harrogate needs a vibrant, prosperous, safe, attractive, accessible, healthier and sustainable town centre and would welcome further investment in it to achieve that goal through a Gateway scheme, subject to the following conditions:

1. That the genuine concerns of individuals and groups continue to be listened to, debated and responded to where possible within the constraints of the scheme funding.
2. That the ACC has a meaningful role in the implementation of the scheme, including the above mentioned conversations, and that a full report on progress is received at its meeting in the Autumn.
3. That a rigorous monitoring system for expected and actual impact on traffic flows, the environmental, active travel take-up and businesses in the area of the scheme is put in place pre-shovel and made open and transparent from day one.