Harrogate Gateway Advances After Court Win
Campaign group appeals £14.3M Harrogate transit plan to Supreme Court after losing case
Harrogate Gateway Transit Plan Faces Supreme Court Appeal
A £14.3 million transit improvement project in Harrogate will face another legal challenge after a campaign group announced plans to appeal to the Supreme Court. The Get Away group applied for the appeal immediately after the Court of Appeal dismissed their challenge on Thursday, March 12, according to North Yorkshire Council. The Harrogate Gateway scheme aims to improve public transport access and create better connections between the town's bus and railway stations.
Legal Challenge Background
The Court of Appeal upheld an earlier High Court ruling and rejected all three grounds of appeal brought by A&E Baines Ltd, which launched the Get Away campaign group. The legal challenge claimed North Yorkshire Council acted unlawfully when issuing four traffic regulation orders for the scheme. The orders include a combined bus and cycle lane, one-way traffic arrangements, and turning restrictions near Harrogate bus and railway stations. The court found the council wasn't required to carry out further public consultation on the revised scheme before making the traffic regulation orders.
Project Details and Funding
The Transforming Cities Fund scheme is designed to improve Harrogate town centre's public areas and provide better access to public transport. North Yorkshire Council stated it's working with partners to secure necessary funding and agreements to commence the scheme at the earliest opportunity. Councillor Malcolm Taylor, the council's executive member for highways and transport, said the council has now won all points convincingly in two court cases. The Get Away group claims the scheme will be carbon positive, pose health and safety risks, result in longer journey times and greater congestion, and create two years of disruption.
Timeline and Next Steps
The Supreme Court will now decide whether to hear the campaign group's appeal, though officials haven't said when that decision might come. If the court declines to hear the case, the council can proceed with implementation. The council said it's working to commence the scheme at the earliest opportunity, but a specific start date wasn't provided. Transit agencies typically need several months to finalize funding agreements and contractor arrangements before major infrastructure projects can begin.
Impact on Riders
Once implemented, the scheme will change how buses and cyclists access Harrogate's town center and transit stations. The combined bus and cycle lane and new traffic arrangements are designed to improve journey times and reliability for public transport users. Riders can check Moovit for real-time updates on Harrogate bus services and route information as the project moves forward.
