Trade fears as Catterick Garrison roadworks last almost a year

Months of delays have caused a £2.2m road improvement scheme at the White Shops parade in Catterick Garrison to continue way beyond the initial 12 weeks envisaged by North Yorkshire County Council and joint partner Richmondshire District Council.

Local MP, Rishi Sunak, has demanded an explanation as to why the project has run so badly off-schedule, with the county council now due to complete the work by November 24.

Traders, speaking at a meeting attended by Mr Sunak, local councillors and a representative of the council, told of how their trade had been hit so hard by the works that some of them may not be in business by the time the work is finished.

Roadworks currently hinder motorists who wish to stop outside the shops, while lengthy delays caused by temporary traffic lights have also been blamed for reducing footfall.

After the meeting with local business figures, Richmond MP, Mr Sunak, said: “Understandably, these hard-pressed businesses are wondering how a programme of work expected to last three months can end up taking more than a year.”

The scheme has been plagued by problems, with utility companies having discovered cables and pipes beneath the road surface that they were unaware of and had to be moved, Mr Sunak said.

At present, North Yorkshire County Council is waiting for communications giant Vodafone to complete its cabling work at the site before the council’s contractors can resume.

Mr Sunak said his first priority was to contact Vodafone to see if they could bring forward its work, scheduled for July 9 and 14, and by yesterday afternoon, a spokesperson for the county council said it had secured an agreement with Vodafone for the work to be completed by July 5.

“This enables the county council to review its programme with the intention of reducing the period of completion of these major junction improvements,” the spokesperson said, adding: “The County Council is in discussions with Richmondshire District Council and with MP Rishi Sunak to see how businesses in the area can be supported through these works.”

Ideas mooted to ease conditions for traders include an extension of free parking arrangements in a nearby car park and measures to promote the businesses in the local area.