Why this new relief road will not reduce congestion in Harrogate – Yorkshire Post letters

IN response to the provocative notices appearing throughout the area saying ‘Is Harrogate congested?’, I would say of course it is, especially as much of the congestion in recent months has been caused by roadworks to mend road surfaces in preparation for the Tour de Yorkshire, for installation of new pipes through Harrogate to Knaresborough, and again utilities putting in services for the explosion of new housing developments in Harrogate.

The notices are asking us to respond to the North Yorkshire County Council consultation on whether we want a new relief road cutting through the Nidd Gorge and the Harrogate/Ripley Greenway. It seems they are trying to influence the outcome by their question ‘Is Harrogate congested?’, especially as these notices often appear next to the traffic jams caused by roadworks.

If I were into conspiracy theories, I would be tempted to think that all this chaos had been authorised to influence the public response. But even if if it hasn’t, it will inevitably influence the public response.

Hopefully people will realise that this kind of congestion will not be relieved by a so-called relief road, especially as it’s an irrelevance when a very large percentage of the traffic is travelling within Harrogate and Knaresborough and not through it.